Taliban vows more terrorist attacks after collapse of peace talks

Nahla Abdel Moneim

In response to US President Donald Trump’s cancellation of peace talks with the Taliban, the Afghan movement issued on Sunday a statement decrying his move, warning of more human losses.

Taliban’s statement has revealed a number of key points, most importantly that the Taliban movement is seeking peace, while the US doesn’t want that.

The statement pointed out to the progress achieved and that the Afghan parties would meet on September 23 after the signing of the agreement with the US. However, Trump’s move has canceled such a meeting.

The Taliban movement says that surprising move will tarnish the US reputation and expose Washington’s position to the whole world that it doesn’t want peace in Afghanistan.

The Taliban movement has also threatened the US citing 18 years of the US military presence in Afghanistan that has left human losses.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has strongly defended President Trump’s decision. Pompeo said Afghan peace talks were on hold and Washington would not withdraw troops from the region until it was convinced the Taliban could follow through on any significant commitments.

US House Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have criticized the arrival of terrorists to the same place where meetings to defeat al-Qaeda after 9/11 were held.

Certainly, an agreement with the Taliban was not only for the US and Afghanistan, but it was also crucial for other regional parties.

Russian Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said cancelling the meetings reflects a negative viewpoint of the situation expecting escalation of violence in the region.