Taliban Proposes 3-Month Ceasefire to Afghan Government on Condition of Prisoner Release

"Taleban Leader Demands Removal from UN Blacklist"
100,000 US Afghan Interpreters Apply for Asylum... "Withdrawal is Essential" Emphasized

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It has been reported that the armed rebel Taliban in Afghanistan proposed a three-month ceasefire to the Afghan government on the condition of prisoner release. As the completion of the U.S. troop withdrawal approaches, a full-scale Taliban assault on the Afghan capital Kabul is expected, but it remains uncertain whether an actual ceasefire will take place.

According to the British BBC and others on the 16th, Ahmad Nader Naderi, a negotiator from the Afghan government delegation participating in peace talks with the Taliban, stated at a press conference the day before, "The Taliban proposed a three-month ceasefire on the condition of releasing 7,000 prisoners," adding, "This is a very large demand, and the Taliban is also demanding that their leaders be removed from the UN blacklist."

Regarding this, a Taliban spokesperson said, "Only the content about a ceasefire during the upcoming Eid al-Adha (Islamic Festival of Sacrifice) has been announced," refusing to disclose the conditions of the ceasefire. The Afghan government has not yet revealed its position on whether it will accept the ceasefire proposal conditional on prisoner release. The Taliban claims to have already controlled 85% of the entire territory of Afghanistan and is tightening the siege around Kabul, so it remains uncertain whether an actual ceasefire will be achieved.

Concerns have even been raised that the Afghan government forces might surrender to the Taliban, leading many Afghans who had been employed by the U.S. military, such as interpreters who cooperated with the U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, to apply for asylum in the United States in large numbers. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki emphasized at a press conference the day before, "About 20,000 Afghans who worked as interpreters for the U.S. military and American organizations have applied for asylum fearing Taliban retaliation," adding, "Those who have completed investigations are temporarily housed at U.S. military bases, and those whose investigations are not yet complete will be safely housed in third countries until visa procedures are completed."

According to AFP, the U.S. government has not disclosed the exact number of asylum seekers and their families in Afghanistan, but some estimate the number to be around 100,000. Senators Mark Warner and Marco Rubio of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging that Afghans who supported U.S. intelligence agencies must also be evacuated.

In the letter, they emphasized, "Over the past 20 years, thousands of Afghans have worked alongside U.S. and international allied intelligence experts to fight terrorist groups," adding, "Abandoning them would damage U.S. credibility and stain the national conscience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.