Taliban Steps Up Divide And Conquer Strategy In Afghanistan
May 05, 2021
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On the battlefield, the Taliban is ratcheting up attacks aimed at overrunning Afghanistan’s battered security forces and seizing vulnerable towns and cities from the government.
On the political front, the Taliban is trying to undercut support for the fragile Afghan government by co-opting disgruntled members of the country s political elite.
Observers say the militant group’s two-pronged strategy is designed to bring down the elected government in Kabul, which the Taliban views as a Western puppet. The militants have ruled out joining the current political system in any peace deal.
Taliban Sends Letters to Afghan Leaders Calling for Direct Talks
The Taliban has sent letters to a number of Afghan political leaders, calling on them to enter into direct talks with the group, sources familiar with the matter told TOLOnews on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the office of Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR), confirmed that it had received a letter from the Taliban, however Abdullah’s office said that the letter is aimed to create discord on the republic side.
A close aide to Afghan former president Hamid Karzai has also confirmed that the Taliban in a letter to Karzai asked him to participate in direct talks.
Ghani Meeting With Karzai, Sayyaf, Abdullah: Sources
President Ashraf Ghani held meetings with a number of influential political leaders of Afghanistan including former President Hamid Karzai, the High Council of National Reconciliation chairman Abdullah Abdullah, and former jihadi commander Abdul Rab Rassould Sayyaf to discuss the ongoing security and political climate of the country and issues around national consensus, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Sources said that the meeting was held on Tuesday night and discussions were focused also on an upcoming UN-led conference on Afghanistan in Turkey and the management of the country after the withdrawal of US forces.