Afghanistan's Executive Chief: Taliban Seeks Return to Terror Emirate

Abdullah Abdullah, the Executive Chief of Afghanistan, states that the Taliban's refusal to engage in dialogue with the government is the main obstacle to achieving peace in the country. Abdullah claims that the group is still seeking a 'return to the terror emirate' in Afghanistan. His strong criticisms come ahead of a meeting between Taliban militants and several prominent Afghan figures. Taliban officials are set to meet in the Russian capital with notable Afghan personalities, including former President Hamid Karzai, but no meetings with official government representatives have been planned. The office of Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, has also criticized the scheduled meetings for February 5. The Russian government claims it has no role in the upcoming negotiations and discussions, which are organized by a group of Afghan leaders based outside the country and based in Moscow. However, a meeting at this level without oversight and support from the Kremlin, even if indirect, seems unlikely. The Afghan government asserts that Kabul should be at the center of peace talks. Abdullah Abdullah stated that the central government 'would have preferred the meetings in Moscow to take a different form.' Meanwhile, the New York Times has analyzed that the Moscow negotiations will further weaken the current Afghan government, as Kabul is already sidelined in talks with the Taliban. Previously, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan had held meetings with the Taliban in Doha, and following the latest ones, the U.S. State Department expressed satisfaction with the negotiation process. The U.S. government has yet to respond to the discussions taking place on Tuesday in Moscow. The Taliban is sending a 10-member delegation to the Russian capital. It is expected that some former warlords from Afghanistan who have now entered politics will also participate in the discussions. Hamid Karzai tweeted that he intends to be 'a messenger of peace, solidarity, independence, and progress for all.' While the Taliban is engaged in negotiations with foreign countries and former Afghan officials, it continues its attacks on Afghan security forces.