Top US Gen. Milley Meets Taliban Team in Doha

 

Milley pushes violence reduction as key to political solution

Jason Ditz 

Posted onDecember 17, 2020CategoriesNewsTagsAfghanistan

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley met with Taliban negotiators in Doha on Thursday, engaging as intra-Afghan talks are on hold for consultations.

Gen. Milley emphasized the need for the Taliban to reduce violence, which is the Ghani government’s primary goal. Ghani was using the lack of violence reduction as a talking point in his own comments on the process.

Yet for all they push the Taliban, the violence is surging in both directions, and neither side is going to be able to unilaterally lower it while the other side keeps attacking. Keeping the violence level up a bit probably is in Ghani’s interest as it gives him something to complain about.

The US is trying to use its drawdown as leverage in these side talks, but the demands are so simplistic that they probably won’t amount to anything until the two sides get back together to discuss the ceasefire.

https://news.antiwar.com/2020/12/17/top-us-gen-milley-meets-taliban-team-in-doha/