Taliban say they won't work with US to contain Islamic State

3 years ago 298

ISLAMABAD – The Taliban connected Saturday ruled retired practice with the U.S. to incorporate extremist groups successful Afghanistan, staking retired an uncompromising presumption connected a cardinal contented up of the archetypal nonstop talks betwixt the erstwhile foes since America withdrew from the state successful August.

Senior Taliban officials and U.S. representatives are to conscionable Saturday and Sunday successful Doha, the superior of the Persian Gulf authorities of Qatar. Officials from some sides person said issues see reining successful extremist groups and the evacuation of overseas citizens and Afghans from the country. The Taliban person signaled flexibility connected evacuations.

Taliban governmental spokesperson Suhail Shaheen told The Associated Press determination would beryllium nary practice with Washington connected going aft the progressively progressive Islamic State radical affiliate successful Afghanistan. IS has taken work for a fig of attacks, including a termination bombing that killed 46 number Shiite Muslims and wounded dozens arsenic they prayed successful a mosque.

“We are capable to tackle Daesh independently,” Shaheen said, erstwhile asked whether the Taliban would enactment with the U.S. to incorporate the Islamic State affiliate. He utilized an Arabic acronym for IS.

IS has carried retired relentless assaults connected the country’s Shiite Muslims since emerging successful eastbound Afghanistan successful 2014. IS is besides seen arsenic the top menace to the United States.

The play meetings successful Doha are the archetypal since U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan successful precocious August, ending a 20-year subject presence, and the Taliban roseate to powerfulness successful the nation. The U.S. has made it wide the talks are not a preamble to recognition.

The talks besides travel connected the heels of 2 days of hard discussions betwixt Pakistani officials and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman successful Islamabad. The absorption of those talks was besides Afghanistan. Pakistani officials urged the U.S. to prosecute with Afghanistan's caller rulers and merchandise billions of dollars successful planetary funds to stave disconnected an economical meltdown.

Pakistan besides had a connection for the Taliban, urging them to go much inclusive and wage attraction to quality rights and its number taste and spiritual groups.

Afghanistan's Shiite clerics assailed the Taliban rulers pursuing Friday's onslaught demanding greater extortion astatine their places of worship. The IS affiliate claimed work and identified the bomber arsenic a Uygher Muslim. The assertion said the onslaught targeted some Shiites and the Taliban for their purported willingness to expel Uyghers to conscionable demands from China. It was the deadliest onslaught since overseas troops near Afghanistan astatine the extremity of August.

Michael Kugelman, lawman manager of the Asia Program astatine the U.S.-based Wilson Center, said Friday's onslaught could beryllium a harbinger of much violence. Most of the Uyghur militants beryllium to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which has recovered a harmless haven successful the borderline regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan for decades.

“If the (IS) assertion is true, China’s concerns astir coercion successful (Afghanistan)—to which the Taliban claims to beryllium receptive—will increase,” helium tweeted pursuing the onslaught

Both Afghanistan and Pakistan privation the anticipated economical benefits from China's multi-billion Belt and Road inaugural task linking Beijing to Central and South Asia. They person been consenting to disregard China's persecution of its Muslim Uyghur population. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid past period called the Chinese task the region's astir important economical venture.

During the Doha talks, U.S. officials volition besides question to clasp Taliban leaders to commitments that they would let Americans and different overseas nationals to permission Afghanistan, on with Afghans who erstwhile worked for the U.S. subject oregon authorities and different Afghan allies, a U.S. authoritative said.

The authoritative spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to talk connected the grounds astir the meetings.

The Biden medication has fielded questions and complaints astir the dilatory gait of U.S.-facilitated evacuations from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal.

___

Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer successful Washington contributed to this report.

Read Entire Article