Kabul Views Taliban-Afghan Opposition Talks in Moscow as a Betrayal, Reports Reuters

By Hamid Shalizi

KABUL – High-ranking Afghan officials expressed concerns on Monday regarding the upcoming talks between Taliban representatives and opposition politicians, including former President Hamid Karzai, scheduled to begin this week in Moscow. They argued that these discussions undermine the principles of democracy and the overall well-being of Afghanistan.

These talks, set to start on Tuesday, come shortly after peace negotiations in Qatar between the United States and the Taliban, which showed promising signs towards a withdrawal of thousands of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the conclusion of over 17 years of conflict.

The urgency for peace emerges as the Taliban, who were removed from power by U.S.-led forces in 2001, have ramped up their offensive with near-daily attacks and control or contention over districts across nearly half of the nation.

Sources indicate that Russia opted to exclude Afghan government officials from the talks to facilitate the Taliban’s participation, as the group refuses to engage with representatives of the government led by President Ashraf Ghani, whom they label as U.S. puppets.

Fazel Fazly, chief adviser to Ghani, voiced disappointment over the decision of politicians, who were instrumental in Afghanistan’s democratic transition, to engage with the Taliban. He lamented their willingness to "bypass these principles and move toward their destruction" amid personal ambitions and political displacement.

Abdullah Abdullah, the government’s chief executive, noted that the Taliban would achieve their goal once foreign troops depart, limiting the necessity for dialogue.

Currently, there are approximately 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission focused on support and a separate counter-terrorism initiative primarily aimed at groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, supplemented by around 8,000 troops from other nations.

The Afghan government, having been excluded from U.S. discussions at the Taliban’s request, is apprehensive about the possibility of the Taliban imposing themselves within any transitional government framework.

The Moscow talks are set to attract significant attention from Western diplomats, who are concerned that they may complicate U.S. dialogues led by special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and potentially marginalize President Ghani.

While Russian representatives will likely take a backseat, the initiative underscores Russia’s increasing involvement in Afghan affairs.

Karzai confirmed his participation, stating he would advocate for "peace, unity, sovereignty, and progress for all." He is notable for being Afghanistan’s first democratically elected leader, following the Taliban’s ousting by U.S.-supported forces.

Mohammad Hanif Atmar, a key figure and former national security adviser to Ghani, indicated that the discussions would stress the importance of including the Afghan government in future intra-Afghan dialogues. However, he cautioned against limiting the peace process to a "narrow governmental perspective."

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the conference aims to "open channels to reach an understanding with non-government Afghan political groups" and expressed the group’s desire to articulate its vision for "enduring peace in the homeland and the establishment of an intra-Afghan Islamic system of governance."