US special representative on Afghan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad rejected Reuter’s report, in which two unidentified Taliban commanders claimed that the United State will cease supporting the Afghan forces as part of the agreement.
“No one should be intimidated or fooled by propaganda,” said Khalilzad. “Let me be clear: We will defend Afghan forces and after any agreement with the Taliban.”
Khalilzad is leading the 9th round of direct negotiation with the Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar, where both sides have made progress over four issues, including US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, ceasefire, intra-talk between Afghan politicians, and a guarantee of Afghan soil not being used by the global terror group.
So far, the United States and the Taliban have had several rounds of direct talks to end 18-year long insurgency in the country, where ruthless violence claims dozens of lives daily basis across the country.
The Taliban refused to talk with the Afghan government and labelled it as “poppet government.”
