Kabul, (Samajweekly) Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has said that the conditions in the 2020 Doha Agreement signed by Washington and the Taliban have not materilised, adding that America has “unfinished business” in the war-torn nation, the media reported.
Khalilzad, who stepped down from his position as the Special Representative earlier this month, made the remarks during a Fox News interviews, TOLO News reported.
He said the agreement, signed on February 29, 2020, was conditions-based under former US President Donald Trump’s administration, but incumbent President Joe Biden selected a calendar-based withdrawal.
“The Taliban have not implemented those (conditions). We want to hold the Taliban accountable for those agreements… I advocated that rather than disengaging, we need to press the Taliban to negotiate and reach an agreement on the implementation of the remaining parts dealing with terrorism (and) the establishment of a broad-based government,” the Afghan-origin diplomat was quoted as saying.
The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has however, denied the allegation, accusing the US of not abiding by the agreement, TOLO News reported.
In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “The agreement signed in Doha, implemented by our side, among important points of the agreement, it was mentioned that Afghanistan’s soil is not to be used against America and its allies, and it is not used, as all witness. It is implemented.”
Some of the points of agreement included the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and to prevent the Al Qaeda from operating in areas under Taliban control.
After the full withdrawal of the US forces in August, the Taliban took over the control of Afghanistan.
