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THE STANS
Latest round of US-Taliban talks finishes
by Staff Writers
Kabul (AFP) Aug 12, 2019

Taliban and US negotiators have wrapped up their latest round of talks for a deal that would see America shrink its troop presence in Afghanistan, both sides said Monday.

The foes have been negotiating in Doha over the past year for a pact that would see the Pentagon begin to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Afghanistan.

Speculation has reached fever pitch in Kabul in recent days that an announcement about a deal may be imminent, but tweets from the Taliban and Zalmay Khalilzad -- the US special envoy leading the talks -- suggest work remains to be done.

"We've concluded this round of talks that started Aug 3 between the US and the Taliban. Over the last few days, the two sides focused on technical details. They were productive. I am on my way back to DC to consult on next steps," Khalilzad wrote.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the talks had stretched past midnight.

"Work was tedious & effective. Both sides agreed to consult their respective leaderships for next steps," he wrote on Twitter.

On Sunday, Khalilzad tweeted: "I hope this is the last Eid where Afghanistan is at war," referring to the holiday currently being observed across the Muslim world.

Washington is keen to end its 18-year involvement in Afghanistan, where it has spent more than $1 trillion, and President Donald Trump has said he wants troops out.

In return, the Taliban would commit to various security guarantees, including that the Islamist hardliners who long harboured Al-Qaeda would not allow Afghanistan to become a jihadist safe haven.

A US-Taliban agreement would not in itself bring Afghanistan's war to an end, as the insurgents would still need to make a deal with the Kabul government.

Many Afghans had been hoping for a ceasefire to be announced over Eid. This has not happened, but recent days have been relatively calm.

On Monday, Afghanistan's intelligence service announced 35 Taliban prisoners would be released "as a gesture of goodwill".

"The release of these prisoners is a clear sign of the strong will of the government for peace and end to war," the agency said in a statement.

The Taliban and Afghan security forces periodically release enemy prisoners.


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THE STANS
China tells Kyrgyzstan to punish mine attackers
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (AFP) Aug 6, 2019
China's embassy in Kyrgyzstan Tuesday called on the Central Asian country to punish villagers it said attacked a Chinese-owned mine, leaving more than 20 workers injured. The rare diplomatic rebuke from Beijing followed a skirmish between mine employees and villagers living close to the Solton Sary gold deposit which is licensed to China's Zhong Ji Mining. The embassy said it had informed Kyrgyzstan of its "serious concern" over the incident. China "firmly asks the government... to take ef ... read more

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