Afghanistan election in doubt as US, Taliban near deal
Afghanistan faces a presidential election next month but few believe the vote will take place as the United States and the Taliban inch closer to a deal that could end the nearly 18-year war but bring uncertainty about almost everything else.
This week, the Taliban declared the election a “sham” and warned fellow Afghans to stay away from campaign rallies and from the polls, saying such gatherings could be targeted. A day later, a Taliban car bomb aimed at Afghan security forces ripped through a Kabul neighborhood, killing 14 people and wounding 145 — most of them women, children and other civilians.
The Taliban and a U.S. envoy tasked with finding a peaceful resolution to the war in Afghanistan reported progress on negotiations on an agreement for the withdrawal of some 20,000 U.S. and NATO troops, along with Taliban guarantees that Afghanistan would not be a base for other extremist groups. The deal would include a cease-fire and Taliban negotiations with other Afghan representatives, he said.
But so far, the Taliban has refused to negotiate with the government, dismissing it as a U.S. puppet. And no one knows whether the thousands of Taliban fighters across Afghanistan will respect whatever deal is made.
https://www.apnews.com/5e53cba2df5d4ad793610faeeb3fad0d