The official body overseeing the Afghan peace process and other influential players in the region have criticized Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for pushing for US troops to stay longer, saying it could hurt the chances of ending the Taliban insurgency.
Talks between the government and Taliban have yet to begin, although militant leaders have signaled that they are ready to negotiate through Pakistani mediation. Progress toward the talks appears to have stalled, in part over divisions within the Taliban.
The US announcement during Ghani’s recent visit to Washington to slow the pace at which it would wind down a force of 9,800 soldiers, and allow them to stay through the end this year, could further complicate the process.
Under the previous plan, US forces were to have been cut to about half their current levels by year’s end, and the change has angered the Taliban, which has stated that foreign troops must not be allowed to stay.
“This will certainly complicate the peace effort, because the Taliban have long wanted foreign troops and US forces in particular to leave Afghanistan,” High Peace Council spokesman Shahzada Shahid told reporters.
Some senior regional diplomats and Afghan power brokers say the US decision makes little difference on the battlefield, but could further erode already fragile trust between the Taliban and the government.
They fear that by seeking additional US military support, Ghani is sending the wrong message to the Taliban, which was ousted in a US-led operation in 2001 and is fighting to return to power.
One of the more outspoken parliamentarians in Kabul, Abdul Qader Zazai, said the decision would have a “negative impact” on the peace process.
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