Thread by @osamabinjavaid

I asked a senior leader of the #Taliban

Whether they're...
- violating peace agreement terms
- disingenuous during peace talks
- tactically buying time before withdrawal deadline
- behind targeted killings and spike in violence
- not severing ties with groups like Al Qaeda
(1/n)

The Taliban leader accused the Afghan govt and allies of violating their deal.

"According to the agreement after three months of initiating intra-Afghan dialogue, all prisoners are to be released. It’s been five months and they haven’t released a single prisoner"

He says "After nine months of commitment Taliban continues to be blacklisted, Kabul & USG continue to ignore the deal. The agreement makes it clear they will not carry out bombardment, drone attacks, artillery strikes, or night raids – they continue to openly violate terms"

Why don't you reduce violence?
"Taliban ops are halted. All major attacks suspended. No district centers or provincial HQs being targeted. Every year we take a province (Kunduz, Ghazni, Uruzgan etc) since the deal all of that has been stopped. If this isnt RIV then what will be?"

The govt has intelligence that #Taliban is behind targeted killings?

"Taliban doesn’t gain anything by killing individuals. Kabul admin keeps repeating and throws daily accusations, its not worth commenting on all of them. Where is the proof? We reject all baseless mudslinging"

What aren't you committed to talks? One meeting after many requests from govt, you're being disingenuous?

"Taliban is abiding by the agreement in letter and spirit and the Kabul govt and the Americans know it fully well.
The notion we're not genuinely engaged in talks is false"

he added
"...Who delayed the talks by six months when we agreed to talk, it’s on record. Agreement said March 2020 prisoners will be released, who hindered the intra-Afghan dialogue? Is this the Kabul administration not buying time?"

"The next three months they refused to accept the Doha agreement as the basis for dialogue in the first round, they wasted almost three months and then accepted it. So the Kabul administration has wasted more than nine months, how can anyone accuse the Taliban for delay tactics?"

US/NATO officials and Afg govt say you aren't doing enough to cut ties with AlQaeda?

"Taliban is committed that it will not allow any group to use Afghan soil against another country. No incident has taken place since the signing of the agreement – what other proof is required?"

So how do you prove #Taliban's not helping #AlQaeda? Or vice versa?

I asked @jensstoltenberg after @NATO defence ministers met last week.

He says "with intel & surveillance by allied troops & Afghan govt forces"

@jensstoltenberg @NATO Biden admin is reviewing Trump's 2020 deal will you renegotiate?

"We have an agreement with a legal govt & we expect the US to abide by it. Taliban remains committed to the written terms & we expect the other side to do the same"

#Taliban tell @AJEnglish
aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/24…