Taliban call for peace in New York Times article

21 Feb

An opinion piece by a Taliban leader in the New York Times expresses the group's commitment to signing a peace agreement with the United States.

Sirajuddin Haqqani's opinion piece, "What We, the Taliban, Want," appeared in the Times on Thursday.

It comes a week after US Defense Secretary Mark Esper revealed that the two sides had negotiated a proposal for a seven-day reduction in violence. The agreement could lead to a withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

Haqqani expressed hope for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign troops. He stressed the Taliban's commitment to ending hostilities and bringing peace to the country.

He said, "We today stand at the threshold of a peace agreement with the United States." And he also said, "We are fully committed to carrying out its every single provision."

It is unusual for a senior Taliban member to have an opinion piece published in a US newspaper. Observers say the message is apparently aimed at gaining public support for the early withdrawal of US troops.

NHK