"While details of the meetings [in Doha] have been sketchy, Afghanistan featured prominently and officials familiar with the talks said a reduction of violence and eventual cease fire dominated discussions."
"Pakistan is seen as critical to getting the Taliban back to the table but also to pressing the insurgent movement __ whose leadership is headquartered in Pakistan __ to reduce violence in Afghanistan."
"The resumption in talks in Doha follows on the heels of a blizzard of diplomatic activity including a steady stream of officials to Pakistan and its powerful Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa."
"Just this past week the U.S. Central Command head...McKenzie was in Islamabad, as was Russian...Afghan envoy, Zamir Kabulov and Qatar’s...special envoy Dr Mutlaq Bin Majed Al Qahtani. Afghan President...special envoy Umar Daudzai is expected in Islamabad on Wednesday."
"The latest diplomatic activity in Islamabad also coincidentally comes as Pakistan is being discussed at a meeting underway this week in Paris of the Financial Action Task Force probing terrorism financing and money laundering."
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This is important on Taliban handling of foreign fighters, should be looked at carefully. But is it without precedent? I don't think it is. In fact, it is mostly in line with Taliban messaging on *controlling* foreign fighters over the last year or so. 1/4
A very useful resource on the issue is @franzjmarty's January piece looking at the Taliban's foreign fighter control & management activity. 2/4 globalaffairs.ch/2021/01/05/is-…
In the piece, @franzjmarty examines a Sept 2020 Taliban memo on "affairs of registering and controlling tribal refugees and foreign mujaheddin." He also discusses messages passed to foreign fighters, reportedly with al-Qaida, in Kamdesh, Nuristan. 3/4 globalaffairs.ch/2021/01/05/is-…
“U.S. intelligence officials said Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups remain active threats inside Afghanistan. But they declined to comment about the Taliban's relationship with Al Qaeda.” nbcnews.com/politics/natio…
“Two Taliban commanders in Afghanistan acknowledged the presence of foreign fighters, but told NBC News that they had made it mandatory that all foreign militants, including members of Al Qaeda, not plan or execute any terrorist attack against the U.S.”
““It was quite before the Doha accord that we had drafted rules for the all 'foreign guests' staying in Afghanistan. Those who wanted to return to their native countries, we helped them,” a commander based in the southern province of Helmand province said.”
This Dadullah interview recorded somewhere in one of the Waziristans and produced by al-Qaida's media arm As-Sahab is an old, among the crazy candid interviews by any Taliban leader that I have come across, especially on al-Qaida-Taliban ties.
The other interview which comes close to this in salience, if not in the quality of content, is a Siraj Haqqani "AMA" with the Ansar al-Mujahidin Network in April 2010.
"...four aid workers, all women, were killed and the male driver was wounded. A fifth aid worker, also a woman, survived the attack by taking refuge in a nearby house..."
"Frequent reports of targeted assassinations of tribal elders, roadside bomb attacks, and clashes with security forces have raised fears that the region...will relapse into militant control."
Despite the Feb 2020 deal, 3035 civilians were killed in 2020.
There was a 15% reduction in harm captured by killed+injuries year on year due to fewer complex attacks. But there was increase in other forms of violence, like targeted killings. Civilian casualties by Afghan security forces also increased.
“McKenzie met Friday with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who’s concerned about whether the new administration has a clear plan for what’s ahead in Afghanistan...”
“Pakistan’s military leaders “would not be unhappy” if the United States extended its departure date, one Pakistani military official said in an interview after the [Bajwa-McKenzie] meeting.”