US officials and diplomats have said that ties between the Taliban, especially its Haqqani Network branch, and al Qaeda remain close. “Thus far, the Taliban has been, to put it politely, reticent to meet their requirements,” Kirby added. The United States went down to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan earlier this month under the then-outgoing Trump administration, the lowest level of American forces there since 2001. Diplomats have raised concerns that rising violence, particularly by the Taliban, is undermining trust needed for successful peace talks. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told his Afghan counterpart last week that the United States would review the peace agreement reached with the Taliban.

Source: bd News24 January 28, 2021 22:07 UTC