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In Moscow, Afghan Peace Talks Without the Afghan Government In Moscow, Afghan Peace Talks Without the Afghan Government
(about 4 hours later)
MOSCOW — Thirty years after the last Soviet troops retreated from Afghanistan, Russia on Tuesday reasserted itself as a player in the region, hosting talks between the Taliban and senior Afghan politicians aimed at speeding another superpower exit, this time by the United States. MOSCOW — Thirty years after the last Soviet troops retreated from Afghanistan, Russia on Tuesday reasserted itself as a player in the region, hosting talks between the Taliban and senior Afghan politicians aimed at speeding the exit of another superpower — this time the United States.
The talks, held in Moscow’s President Hotel, which is owned by the Kremlin, offered a more detailed window onto how the Taliban see an end to the 18-year war. The talks, held in Moscow’s President Hotel, which is owned by the Kremlin, offered a clearer view of how the Taliban see an end to the 18-year war. In a room dripping with chandeliers, more than 50 delegates — many in flowing robes, some in Western suits and ties, and nearly all old and sometimes violent rivals — faced each other across a large, circular conference table.
While the Afghan politicians, part of a delegation of about 40 led by the former president Hamid Karzai, spoke of protecting the hard gains of the past 18 years, the Taliban denounced a new Afghan constitution that lays out a system of governance built at enormous cost. While the Afghan politicians, part of a delegation led by former President Hamid Karzai, spoke of protecting the hard gains of the past two decades, the Taliban denounced a new Afghan Constitution that lays out a system of governance built at enormous cost.
On one issue, however, the insurgent representatives offered rare clarity. While they barred women from public life during their time in office, they now said they respected women’s rights, including to education and work. The Taliban representatives also offered a rare look at how they now see the role of women. While they barred women from public life during their time in power, they said they now believed in women’s rights, including to education and work — a claim met with skepticism by some women in Afghanistan.
The Moscow gathering, which included a Taliban delegation led by their chief negotiator, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, represented the most significant contact between senior Afghan politicians and the Taliban since the United States toppled the hard-line Islamist group from power at the end of 2001.The Moscow gathering, which included a Taliban delegation led by their chief negotiator, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, represented the most significant contact between senior Afghan politicians and the Taliban since the United States toppled the hard-line Islamist group from power at the end of 2001.
Absent from the talks, however, was the American-backed Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani, which has strongly criticized the Moscow meeting as an affront designed to undermine the president’s authority and the Afghan state. Absent from the talks, however, was the American-backed Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani, which has strongly criticized the meeting as an affront designed to undermine his office’s authority and the Afghan state.
Mr. Ghani is in an uncomfortable position, at odds not only with his American backers, whom he sees as moving too quickly to reach a deal, but also with others in the country’s political elite who are rallying around the American-led effort.Mr. Ghani is in an uncomfortable position, at odds not only with his American backers, whom he sees as moving too quickly to reach a deal, but also with others in the country’s political elite who are rallying around the American-led effort.
“What are they agreeing to, with whom? Where is their implementing power?” Mr. Ghani told the Afghan channel ToloNews on Tuesday in dismissing the Moscow meeting. “They could hold a hundred such meetings, but until the Afghan government, the Afghan Parliament, the legal institutions of Afghanistan approve it, it is just agreements on paper.” “What are they agreeing to, with whom? Where is their implementing power?” Mr. Ghani told the Afghan channel ToloNews on Tuesday, dismissing the talks. “They could hold a hundred such meetings, but until the Afghan government, the Afghan Parliament, the legal institutions of Afghanistan approve it, it is just agreements on paper.”
The delegation headed by Mr. Karzai consisted entirely of former officials, representatives of political parties — many of them involved in the country’s bloody civil war — and members of Parliament. There were only two women in the group. The delegation headed by Mr. Karzai consisted entirely of former officials, representatives of political parties — many of them involved in the country’s bloody civil war — and current members of Parliament. There were only two women in the group.
Afghans on social media were critical of the delegation, questioning whether they represented Afghanistan.Afghans on social media were critical of the delegation, questioning whether they represented Afghanistan.
“Those who are in the meeting in Moscow, they have been pushed aside,” said Khaled Abedy, 31, who works at a private company in Kabul. “They just want to build their own business. The country isn’t important to them. I think this sort of meeting can’t help the peace process at all.” “Those who are in the meeting in Moscow, they have been pushed aside,” said Khaled Abedy, 31, who works at a private company in Kabul, the Afghan capital. “They just want to build their own business. The country isn’t important to them. I think this sort of meeting can’t help the peace process at all.”
Atta Muhammad Nur, a powerful former governor forced from office last year by President Ghani, dismissed Mr. Ghani’s concerns as sour grapes, complaining that “those who sit comfortably in their seats are worried that peace will disturb them.” But Atta Muhammad Nur, one of the Afghan politicians in the delegation in Moscow, said the representatives there considered themselves, rather than Mr. Ghani’s government in Kabul, the ultimate masters of Afghanistan.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Moscow event, he said that all foreign forces, including around 14,000 troops from the United States, must leave Afghanistan. But he cautioned that they should be withdrawn gradually, to avoid a repeat of the violent chaos that engulfed Afghanistan after the abrupt Soviet pullout in February 1989. “We have been fighting for 40 years and we are the people with influence, not Ghani,” said Mr. Muhammed Nur, a governor forced from office last year by Mr. Ghani.
The talks, scheduled to last two days, opened just a week after American diplomats and Taliban representatives ended six days of negotiations in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, that both sides said had produced progress toward ending a generation of conflict that began with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and intensified after the United States intervened following the attacks on New York and Washington in September 2001. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, he said that all foreign forces, including around 14,000 American troops, must leave Afghanistan. But he cautioned that they should be withdrawn gradually, to avoid a repeat of the chaos that engulfed Afghanistan after the abrupt Soviet pullout in 1989.
The talks, scheduled to last two days, opened just a week after American diplomats and Taliban representatives ended six days of negotiations in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Each side said those negotiations had made progress toward ending a conflict that began when the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001, not long after the terror attacks of Sept. 11.
Both sides said they had agreed, in principle, to a framework on two issues: a Taliban guarantee that Afghan soil would never again be used by terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, and a pledge from the United States to withdraw its troops. But many Afghans are concerned that the Americans might be too eager to strike a deal.Both sides said they had agreed, in principle, to a framework on two issues: a Taliban guarantee that Afghan soil would never again be used by terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, and a pledge from the United States to withdraw its troops. But many Afghans are concerned that the Americans might be too eager to strike a deal.
The organizer of the Moscow talks is ostensibly the Afghan diaspora in Russia, not the Russian government. But Afghan officials, as well as Taliban members, have said that the Russian government is playing a major role in orchestrating the meeting behind the scenes. The organizer of the Moscow talks is ostensibly the Afghan diaspora in Russia, not the Russian government. But Afghan officials and Taliban members have said that the Kremlin is playing a major role orchestrating the meeting behind the scenes.
Russia, chastened by the crippling damage done to the Soviet Union by its occupation of Afghanistan, has shown no interest in getting involved militarily again, at least not directly, but it has positioned itself as a force to be reckoned with, relishing Washington’s agonies at the hands of Taliban insurgents. Russia, chastened by the damage done to the Soviet Union during its occupation of Afghanistan, has shown no interest in getting involved militarily again, at least not directly. But it has positioned itself as a force to be reckoned with, relishing Washington’s agonies at the hands of Taliban insurgents.
Russia designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization in 2003 and at first strongly supported American efforts to purge Afghanistan of extremist Islamist groups, which President Vladimir V. Putin described as a threat to Russia’s own security. Russia designated the Taliban a terrorist organization in 2003, and at first strongly supported American efforts to purge Afghanistan of extremist Islamist groups, which President Vladimir V. Putin described as a threat to Russia’s security.
Amid rising Cold War-style rivalry between Moscow and Washington, Russia has increasingly pointed to the American military presence in Afghanistan as a major obstacle to peace, hedging its bets by opening channels with the Taliban. Moscow allowed a 10-member delegation from the banned Islamist movement to enter Russia in November for the Moscow talks, called the Inter-Afghan Dialogue on Peace. But amid a rising Cold War-style rivalry between Moscow and Washington, Russia has hedged its bets by opening channels with the Taliban. Moscow allowed a 10-member delegation from the Taliban, still officially barred as terrorists, to enter Russia for the Moscow talks.
After the delegations arrived at the President Hotel on Tuesday, they prayed together in a session led by one of the Taliban participants, and then went into lunch before convening for broader discussions. On Tuesday in Afghanistan, the violence continued unabated. The Taliban attacked police and army outposts around the northern city of Kunduz before dawn, killing at least 23 members of the Afghan security forces. In Takhar Province, gunmen attacked a women’s radio station, killing two staff members.
Mr. Karzai, the first speaker, made an appeal to end the bloodshed. He said Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters were being buried next to each other in graveyards. Mr. Karzai made an appeal to end the bloodshed, saying Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters were buried next to each other.
“All around them in these graveyards are the regular Afghans — their graves are plenty,” Mr. Karzai said. “The dream of every mother, the hope of every father is buried there.”“All around them in these graveyards are the regular Afghans — their graves are plenty,” Mr. Karzai said. “The dream of every mother, the hope of every father is buried there.”
He added, “The people of Afghanistan want a country with sustainable peace, a united and democratic Afghanistan, a prosperous Afghanistan built by the educated women and men of it.” Mr. Karzai was first installed as Afghanistan’s leader by the United States in late 2001, but the relationship soured. He has visited Russia often since leaving office in 2014, and in meetings with Mr. Putin and other officials he has aligned himself with Moscow’s view that the United States must leave Afghanistan, as the Soviet Union did.
Mr. Karzai was first installed as leader in Kabul by the United States in late 2001, but later, the relationship soured. He has visited Russia often since leaving office in 2014, and in meetings with Mr. Putin and other officials, he has aligned himself with Moscow’s view that the United States must leave Afghanistan, just as the Soviet Union did. Mr. Stanekzai, the Taliban’s chief negotiator, said in a speech that the group did not seek to monopolize power inside Afghanistan. He said that they were pursuing an Islamist government, “in consultation with all Afghans,” and that the group did not recognize the country’s current Constitution, calling it copied from the West.
Speaking after Mr. Karzai, in a speech that lasted half an hour, Mr. Stanekzai, the Taliban’s chief negotiator, said that the group did not seek any agenda beyond Afghanistan, nor did they seek a monopoly of power inside Afghanistan. They were pursuing an Islamist government in the country “in consultation with all Afghans,” he said. He added that the group did not recognize the country’s current Constitution, describing it as having been copied from the West and drafted in the shadows of occupation. Perhaps the most revealing part of his speech came when he described the Taliban’s view of a future role for Afghan women. When in power, the group sent its religious police to patrol the streets, giving out lashes to women for, among other things, showing their ankles.
Perhaps the most revealing part of his speech came in his description of how the Taliban saw a future role for Afghan women. When in power, the group banned women from public life, with religious-police officers patrolling the streets and giving out lashes to any woman for actions including having ankles showing. “We are committed to all rights given to women by Islam,” Mr. Stanekzai said. “Islam has given women all fundamental rights — such as trade, ownership, inheritance, education, work and the choice of partner, security and education, and a good life.”
“We believe in all rights given to women by Islam,” Mr. Stanekzai said. “Islam has given women all fundamental rights — such as trade, ownership, inheritance, education, work, and the choice of partner, security and education, and a good life.” Considering the group’s history, some Afghan women immediately questioned the statement’s sincerity.
A veteran of the anti-Soviet struggle, Mr. Stanekzai said he welcomed Russia’s renewed interest in Afghanistan, as long as that interest remained peaceful. “The Russians now promote peace. This is positive. We appreciate this,” he said after a prayer break in the Moscow hotel. But Fawzia Koofi, a female member of the Afghan Parliament and one of the two women in attendance, said she was happy to have heard the Taliban promise that women would not be stripped of their rights and would be allowed to serve as prime minister — though not as president.
In a statement released before the Moscow meeting, a group of Afghan women, including activists, academics and politicians, objected to the domination of the peace process so far by men and by non-Afghans. They said Afghan women had been marginalized in talks about a future in which they had more to lose than anyone. However, she cautioned, “We have gained so much in the last 18 years, whatever the problems, that we do not want to go back the Taliban period.”
The statement called on the Afghan delegation to stand up for the country’s 17-year-old democratic system, which has given women more space and more rights, even if some of those rights are still routinely violated.
Fawzia Koofi, a member of the Afghan Parliament who is attending the meeting, said she wanted assurances that women’s rights would be respected in any power-sharing arrangement with the Taliban.
“The Afghanistan of today is not the Afghanistan of 1999 or 1998, where the Taliban would force women to stay home,” Ms. Koofi said. “A lot of progress has happened since.”
On Tuesday, the violence continued unabated in Afghanistan. The Taliban attacked police and army outposts around the northern city of Kunduz before dawn, killing at least 23 members of the Afghan security forces and capturing two of the outposts. More than 20 Taliban were also killed.
In Takhar province, gunmen attacked a women’s radio station, killing two of its staff members.