Taliban Warns Peace Deal at Breaking Point on US Violations

US says they weren't under obligation to reduce violence

The Taliban has issued a statement this weekend cautioning that the US-Taliban peace deal in Afghanistan is close to a “breaking point” after weeks of violations by the US, and in particular the Afghan government failing to come through on prisoner releases.

The deal promised 5,000 prisoners would be released by the Afghan government, and so far none have. The Taliban also said US drone strikes were in violation of the peace deal, though US officials argued this was not the case, and that only the Taliban were obliged to reduce violence under the pact.

The Taliban argued that they had reduced violence substantially, and the only strikes they have conducted were rural attacks on Afghan government targets, adding that no cities were attacks, and no foreign troops came under fire at all.

US officials, however, say the Taliban must reduce violence even more, and that they will carry out attacks against the Taliban if they do not. There is no sign the US will do anything to pressure the Ghani government on prisoner releases.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.