US begins military pullout
American forces have started pulling out of two bases in Afghanistan, a US official said yesterday, amid report that President Ashraf Ghani was about to issue a decree for at least 1,000 Taliban prisoners to be released this week, paving the way for opening direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban insurgents.
The United States is keen to end its longest-ever conflict, and under the terms of a deal signed in Doha last month has said all foreign forces will quit Afghanistan within 14 months -- provided the Taliban stick to their security commitments.
Under the accord, the US is initially supposed to cut its troop presence from about 12,000 currently to 8,600 by mid-July, and close five of its roughly 20 bases across the country.
Troops have started leaving one base in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province in the south, and another base in Herat in the west, a US official told AFP on the condition of anonymity.
Even with the drawdown, US forces retain "all the military means and authorities to accomplish our objectives", Colonel Sonny Leggett, spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan, said Monday.
Under the terms of the withdrawal deal, the Taliban are supposed to tackle jihadists such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda, as well as hold talks with the Afghan government that were due to start yesterday.
But Kabul is in disarray and appears unable to present a unified front to negotiate with the Taliban. On Monday, President Ashraf Ghani and former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah both held swearing-in ceremonies.
However, the Taliban yesterday sent vehicles to collect fighters expected to be released by the Afghan government .
A government source said any release was unlikely in the coming days and could be weeks away. It was also not known how many prisoners would be released initially, but three sources told Reuters on Monday that it could be between 1,000 and 1,800.
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