The U.S. appears to be making a major effort to force progress in the Afghan peace talks that began last September in Doha, Qatar, but have made little progress since then. The Associated Press reported this morning that it had obtained yesterday a draft, 8-page peace agreement that the U.S. has submitted to both the Taliban and the Afghan government in an apparent attempt to force a breakthrough. The document, AP reports, outlines the terms of a cease-fire and its enforcement; calls for the protection of the rights of women, children, and minorities; and envisions a truth and reconciliation commission aimed at healing 42 years of conflict. The Taliban received the draft and were reviewing it, said spokesman Mohammad Naeem. There was no immediate comment from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the draft proposal.
Unnamed Afghan officials are also cited saying that Russia plans to host a meeting on the Afghan peace process, which will include top Afghan government officials, Taliban leaders, and foreign envoys, about nine days from now, in order to help move the U.S. effort; the date of March 18 is cited. The Afghan government has so far not commented on whether it will participate. However, the Taliban have said that they are assessing the invitation.
At the State Department March 8 press briefing, spokesman Ned Price would not talk about either the U.S. draft peace plan nor the letter that Secretary Blinken sent to President Ashraf Ghani that was leaked by Afghan media on March 7; such interchanges, he said, are best carried on in private. He did confirm that U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is in Doha after having made a quick trip to Pakistan to meet with the Chief of Army Staff General Bajwa. He said that Khalilzad, who has also been in Kabul, continues to work to encourage progress on the Afghan peace process, including progress towards a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire.
