Armed taliban and Afghan soldiers hugged and took selfies last night in Logar to celebrate the first day of Eid's dual cease-fires. 
Brig. Gen. Abdul Raziq Safi went to investigate reports of armed taliban milling around. He got out of his suv, and hugged and took photos with known taliban such as these two youth (said to be taliban by soldiers in the ANA 203rd Corps. @starsandstripes.
The general's driver, Sgt. Maida Gul, threw up his hands. "This has never happened before!" He drove off to the safety of a checkpoint. There, some known Taliban recognized the general's vehicle. They approached, armed, but wanted to find the general for selfies @starsandstripes
We got back to the ANA base, where Taliban elders were praying near the gate. They came in, negotiated with Brig. Gen. Safi about four prisoners, caught planting bomb. After talk, Afghan military, village elders, taliban ate pilaw, lamb and rice. @starsandstripes
During the negotiation over the four young taliban prisoners, brig. Gen. Safi said to the local taliban leader he can't just release them, they were caught in the act of planting a bomb (an IED just killed one of his kandak commanders two months ago)...
But after the dinner and the taliban left, Brig. Gen. Safi wrote a letter recommending to his commander that the government four taliban be freed for clemency and goodwill's sake. He remained leery though of taliban intentions though... @starsandstripes
That night, brig. Gen. Safi admitted when the taliban crowd of about 200 surrounded him earlier, he did not trust them, he just couldn't be seen as weak so he got out for selfies.
Brig. Gen. Abdul Raziq Safi listened to a webcall from Afghan president Ashraf Ghani to brigade commanders at 6 pm Friday. On the webcall, Ghani said to hope for the best, for peace, but to prepare for the worst. @starsandstripes
More photogenic photo of Afghan meal from earlier Friday.
context: the four taliban, ages 17 to 24, were arrested after planting a bomb two nights ago in the same street where crowd had hugged the soldiers. "They're very dangerous..." Brig. Gen. Safi said. Said he's in conundrum bc he doesn't want to be seen as guy who releases taliban
