Work needed for intra-Afghan peace: US envoy

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - Despite significant progress on counter-terrorism and troop withdrawal, work still needs to be done on vital issues like intra-Afghan dialogue and a cease-fire, the U.S envoy for Afghanistan said Thursday.

Zalmay Khalilzad hinted that the path to peace in is still long and complex in a series of tweets.

"The situation in Afghanistan is complex and like all sensitive talks, not everything is conducted in public,” he said. “We are not even finished with these issues (agreement between the Taliban and the U.S over withdrawal of troops and no threats of terrorism emerging from Afghanistan) yet, and there is still work to be done on other vital issues like intra-Afghan dialogue and a complete ceasefire.”

His remarks come amid concerns among Afghan officials that the US diplomat is rushing along the Trump administration's sudden exit plan in a process allegedly hijacked by Pakistan.

Kabul publicly expressed discontent over its exclusion from the talks between the U.S. and the Taliban in Qatar.

"Skeptics have rushed to judgment based on just the first part of a much larger effort, as though we have a completed agreement,” Khalilzad tweeted in clear response to the criticism directed at his handling of the process. “But you can't eat an elephant in one bite! And a 40-year old war won't be resolved in one meeting, even if that meeting runs for close to a week."

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that negotiations are proceeding well in Afghanistan after 18 years of fighting. "Fighting continues but the people of Afghanistan want peace in this never ending war. We will soon see if talks will be successful?” he wrote.