<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-outlines-plan-to-confidence-building-measures-with-afghan-taliban-offers-safety-network-to-rebels-186849">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-outlines-plan-to-confidence-building-measures-with-afghan-taliban-offers-safety-network-to-rebels-186849"> outlines </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-outlines-plan-to-confidence-building-measures-with-afghan-taliban-offers-safety-network-to-rebels-186849">plan</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-outlines-plan-to-confidence-building-measures-with-afghan-taliban-offers-safety-network-to-rebels-186849"> to confidence-building measures with Afghan Taliban; offers safety network to rebels</a>

As the world powers including Russia, Iran are holding talks with Taliban leaders to seek a way out of the Afghan conflict, the United States has outlined a plan to carry out confidence-building measures to persuade the rebels to join the peace process.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-debate-centre-says-dont-use-a-political-prism-opposition-wants-bill-to-go-to-parliament-panel-186835">Triple talaq debate: Centre says don't use a political prism, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-debate-centre-says-dont-use-a-political-prism-opposition-wants-bill-to-go-to-parliament-panel-186835">opposition</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-debate-centre-says-dont-use-a-political-prism-opposition-wants-bill-to-go-to-parliament-panel-186835"> wants </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-debate-centre-says-dont-use-a-political-prism-opposition-wants-bill-to-go-to-parliament-panel-186835">bill</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-debate-centre-says-dont-use-a-political-prism-opposition-wants-bill-to-go-to-parliament-panel-186835"> to go to parliament panel</a>

Asserting that the triple talaq bill is about "Insaaniyat aur insaaf", the government on Thursday said the legislation should not be weighed on the scales of politics while a united opposition strongly demanded that it should be referred to a joint select committee of Parliament, dubbing its provisions "unconstitutional".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britain-voices-grave-concerns-over-chinas-huawei-186842">Britain voices 'grave' concerns over China's Huawei</a>

British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned of his "very deep concerns" about Chinese technology giant Huawei being involved in the use of 5G on Britain's mobile network, &nbsp;The Times reported Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-election-campaign-marred-by-violence-ends-with-opposition-fearing-unfair-voting-186839">Bangladesh: Violent election campaign ends with opposition fearing unfair voting</a>

Bangladesh's deadly election campaign entered a final full day Thursday with followers of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina parading in the streets while her opponents insisted the vote would not be free and fair.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kartarpur-corridor-high-point-of-diplomacy-for-imran-khan-government-pakistan-186836">Kartarpur corridor 'high point of diplomacy' for Imran Khan government: Pakistan</a>

Pakistan on Thursday described the Kartarpur corridor as the "high point of diplomacy" for the Imran Khan government while admitted that there was "no progress" on the contentious issues with India.

&nbsp;

US outlines plan to confidence-building measures with Afghan Taliban; offers safety network to rebels As the world powers including Russia, Iran are holding talks with Taliban leaders to seek a way out of the Afghan conflict, the United States has outlined a plan to carry out confidence-building measures to persuade the rebels to join the peace process. Triple talaq debate: Centre says don't use a political prism, opposition wants bill to go to parliament panel Asserting that the triple talaq bill is about "Insaaniyat aur insaaf", the government on Thursday said the legislation should not be weighed on the scales of politics while a united opposition strongly demanded that it should be referred to a joint select committee of Parliament, dubbing its provisions "unconstitutional". Britain voices 'grave' concerns over China's Huawei British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned of his "very deep concerns" about Chinese technology giant Huawei being involved in the use of 5G on Britain's mobile network, The Times reported Thursday. Bangladesh: Violent election campaign ends with opposition fearing unfair voting Bangladesh's deadly election campaign entered a final full day Thursday with followers of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina parading in the streets while her opponents insisted the vote would not be free and fair. Kartarpur corridor 'high point of diplomacy' for Imran Khan government: Pakistan Pakistan on Thursday described the Kartarpur corridor as the "high point of diplomacy" for the Imran Khan government while admitted that there was "no progress" on the contentious issues with India.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The death last week of the Taliban's senior leader in southern Afghanistan in a US&nbsp;air strike highlights a surge in operations amid pressure to coax the increasingly confident insurgents to accept talks to end the 17-year war.

As US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad makes a fresh round of visits to Afghanistan and neighbouring countries this week and resumes meetings with Taliban representatives, military operations have spiked sharply across the country.

The aim, say Afghan and US officials, is to build as strong a position as possible for the hoped-for start of peace talks with the Taliban.

Khalilzad told US broadcaster PBS last week that he was "in a hurry" to secure an agreement with the Taliban, ideally ahead of presidential elections scheduled for April 20.

While US officials have avoided talk of deadlines, the new urgency has raised fears among many in the Afghan government that the United States seeks a quick way out of its longest war.

"The United States basically wants a dignified withdrawal," said one senior Afghan government official who is in near-daily contact with US diplomats working on the peace process.

"Progress towards peace remains elusive," the Pentagon Lead Inspector General told Congress in the latest report last month, as civilian and military casualties grow and just 65 percent of the population lives under government control.

Large Taliban forces have this year overrun the western city of Farah and the central city of Ghazni, fuelling perceptions that the insurgents, estimated to number 60,000 fighters, are winning.

To regain the initiative, Gen. Scott Miller, who arrived as commander of US forces in Afghanistan in September, has pushed Afghan forces to go on the offensive, backed by US Special Forces and air strikes.

One such strike killed Abdul Manan, the Taliban's shadow governor for Helmand province, on Saturday.

Defence ministry spokesman Ghafoor Ahmad Javed said 161 air strikes in the past two weeks by Afghanistan's own fledgling air force were part of operations which he estimated had killed hundreds of Taliban fighters.

"They've lost many commanders and suffered lots of casualties, they've lost training centres and economic support centres including narcotics," he said.

"When they're under pressure, they know they can't get anywhere without the peace process."

The death of two US Special Forces soldiers and an airman in a roadside bomb blast near Ghazni last week also highlighted the Americans' increasingly active role.

"There is more fighting now than a few weeks ago," said Samilhullah, a resident of Ghazni, overrun this year by thousands of Taliban fighters in one of their biggest operations in years.

"I see many American and Afghan forces in my village and everyday there are sounds of explosions, gunfire and helicopters flying around."

Dangers

The approach was designed to complement the diplomatic push toward opening negotiations with the Taliban, said Colonel Dave Butler, the spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan.

"We're near a political settlement," he added. "If the Taliban want to keep fighting, we will fight and ensure that they feel the pressure."

The US military has dropped more munitions in air strikes this year than any other full year since the height of the US presence in 2011, seeking to bolster Afghan forces reeling from what officials say are unsustainable losses.

Afghan and Western officials have warned that a hasty withdrawal of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan would lead to a collapse in understrength Afghan forces, which have been suffering 600 deaths on average every month since 2015.

The Taliban, who have refused to deal with the Afghan government, calling it an illegitimate "puppet" regime, have struck an increasingly confident tone in official statements, declaring this week that the US was "on the brink of defeat".

However, Taliban representatives have also acknowledged some progress in talks with Khalilzad, focusing on the withdrawal of international forces, the release of prisoners and lifting curbs on international travel by Taliban officials.

"There are certain secrets of our meeting with him which we don't want to disclose, as the United States is trying to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible," one Taliban official who has been involved in the Qatar talks told Reuters last month.

Trump's recent letter to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, urging him to help the process, underlines the importance the issue has garnered in Washington.

But both Western and Afghan officials are keenly aware that US President Donald Trump has long been sceptical of the Afghanistan mission, and had to be persuaded to beef up US forces there as part of the South Asia strategy announced last year.

While the discussions continue, diplomats in Kabul joke about the "Tweet of Damocles" hanging over the engagement, a reference to Trump's penchant for surprise announcements on social media. 
&nbsp;

"There is a real sense that the diplomatic and military effort has to be seen to be producing results quite soon, otherwise the White House may simply lose patience," said one Western diplomat in Kabul.

The death last week of the Taliban's senior leader in southern Afghanistan in a US air strike highlights a surge in operations amid pressure to coax the increasingly confident insurgents to accept talks to end the 17-year war.

The death last week of the Taliban's senior leader in southern Afghanistan in a US air strike highlights a surge in operations amid pressure to coax the increasingly confident insurgents to accept talks to end the 17-year war. As US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad makes a fresh round of visits to Afghanistan and neighbouring countries this week and resumes meetings with Taliban representatives, military operations have spiked sharply across the country. The aim, say Afghan and US officials, is to build as strong a position as possible for the hoped-for start of peace talks with the Taliban. Khalilzad told US broadcaster PBS last week that he was "in a hurry" to secure an agreement with the Taliban, ideally ahead of presidential elections scheduled for April 20. While US officials have avoided talk of deadlines, the new urgency has raised fears among many in the Afghan government that the United States seeks a quick way out of its longest war. "The United States basically wants a dignified withdrawal," said one senior Afghan government official who is in near-daily contact with US diplomats working on the peace process. "Progress towards peace remains elusive," the Pentagon Lead Inspector General told Congress in the latest report last month, as civilian and military casualties grow and just 65 percent of the population lives under government control. Large Taliban forces have this year overrun the western city of Farah and the central city of Ghazni, fuelling perceptions that the insurgents, estimated to number 60,000 fighters, are winning. To regain the initiative, Gen. Scott Miller, who arrived as commander of US forces in Afghanistan in September, has pushed Afghan forces to go on the offensive, backed by US Special Forces and air strikes. One such strike killed Abdul Manan, the Taliban's shadow governor for Helmand province, on Saturday. Defence ministry spokesman Ghafoor Ahmad Javed said 161 air strikes in the past two weeks by Afghanistan's own fledgling air force were part of operations which he estimated had killed hundreds of Taliban fighters. "They've lost many commanders and suffered lots of casualties, they've lost training centres and economic support centres including narcotics," he said. "When they're under pressure, they know they can't get anywhere without the peace process." The death of two US Special Forces soldiers and an airman in a roadside bomb blast near Ghazni last week also highlighted the Americans' increasingly active role. "There is more fighting now than a few weeks ago," said Samilhullah, a resident of Ghazni, overrun this year by thousands of Taliban fighters in one of their biggest operations in years. "I see many American and Afghan forces in my village and everyday there are sounds of explosions, gunfire and helicopters flying around." Dangers The approach was designed to complement the diplomatic push toward opening negotiations with the Taliban, said Colonel Dave Butler, the spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan. "We're near a political settlement," he added. "If the Taliban want to keep fighting, we will fight and ensure that they feel the pressure." The US military has dropped more munitions in air strikes this year than any other full year since the height of the US presence in 2011, seeking to bolster Afghan forces reeling from what officials say are unsustainable losses. Afghan and Western officials have warned that a hasty withdrawal of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan would lead to a collapse in understrength Afghan forces, which have been suffering 600 deaths on average every month since 2015. The Taliban, who have refused to deal with the Afghan government, calling it an illegitimate "puppet" regime, have struck an increasingly confident tone in official statements, declaring this week that the US was "on the brink of defeat". However, Taliban representatives have also acknowledged some progress in talks with Khalilzad, focusing on the withdrawal of international forces, the release of prisoners and lifting curbs on international travel by Taliban officials. "There are certain secrets of our meeting with him which we don't want to disclose, as the United States is trying to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible," one Taliban official who has been involved in the Qatar talks told Reuters last month. Trump's recent letter to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, urging him to help the process, underlines the importance the issue has garnered in Washington. But both Western and Afghan officials are keenly aware that US President Donald Trump has long been sceptical of the Afghanistan mission, and had to be persuaded to beef up US forces there as part of the South Asia strategy announced last year. While the discussions continue, diplomats in Kabul joke about the "Tweet of Damocles" hanging over the engagement, a reference to Trump's penchant for surprise announcements on social media. "There is a real sense that the diplomatic and military effort has to be seen to be producing results quite soon, otherwise the White House may simply lose patience," said one Western diplomat in Kabul.

Afghan peace push backed by surge in air strikes, operations

The Taliban in Afghanistan have not yet shown any sign they are serious about ending their 17-year insurgency despite US efforts to push a fresh peace process, the country's de facto prime minister has said.

Abdullah Abdullah, who serves as "chief executive" of the unity government in Kabul, struck a far more sceptical tone about the prospects of a deal than his political rival, President Ashraf Ghani, and his Western counterparts.

Ghani said earlier this month it was "not a question of if, but when" an agreement would be reached with the Taliban, while the US envoy to the country even raised the possibility of a breakthrough before presidential elections in April.

"Recently there are renewed efforts in terms of the international community and especially the US," Abdullah told AFP during a wide-ranging interview in Paris that also covered his own political ambitions.

"We are not judging it too prematurely, but I would say that our experience as of now has been that they (the Taliban) have not shown any intention to get seriously engaged in the peace negotiations," he added.

The comment on Wednesday came after the latest atrocity targeting civilians in Kabul when a bomber killed 55 people at a banquet hall at a ceremony to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.

Abdullah, a political veteran of the fight against Soviet forces in the 1980s and Taliban rule in the 90s, called it "beyond comprehension."&nbsp;

Beleaguered Afghan security forces are also suffering an unprecedented level of casualties across the country where the Taliban and the Islamic State group are stepping up attacks.

Returning to Kabul on Thursday after a three-day trip to France, Abdullah said he expected to be briefed fully about the latest round of talks between US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban, which are believed to have taken place in Qatar last week.

Whatever the outcome, he argued that Afghanistan should hold its presidential election as scheduled next April despite a recent upsurge in violence and suggestions from some that it should be delayed.

"My idea is to stick to the timing, make it work, because it's part of the system and legitimacy of the system depends on the elections," he said.&nbsp;

"At the same time, continue the efforts on peace with full vigour."&nbsp;

He downplayed any suggestion of a pre-election breakthrough with the Taliban.

"It will be very surprising if that happens, but should it happen ... That would be welcomed by the people of Afghanistan," he added.

Abdullah has kept up suspense about his own political ambitions after twice running for president in 2009 and 2014 in campaigns that ended bitterly amid accusations of fraud.

After being beaten in 2014 by Ghani, Abdullah agreed to become prime minister of the unity government in a US-brokered deal -- but the rivalry between the two men continues.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

"I will actively be involved one way or another, but I have not made that final decision," Abdullah said when asked if he would run in 2019.

Looking ahead to next April's vote, Abdullah was candid about the lack of progress made in correcting the weaknesses in Afghanistan's fraud-plagued electoral system.

He said he was "disappointed" by parliamentary elections in October, which were marred by a shambolic rollout of new biometric polling technology and missing or incomplete voter lists.

"Our expectations for the parliamentary elections and the conduct of them was much higher, and the people's expectations were much higher," he said.

There were thousands of complaints lodged against the Independent Electoral Commission, although four million voters did defy the security worries to turn out and cast a ballot.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

The unity government had pledged to tackle problems that have repeatedly undermined faith in Afghan elections since the US-led invasion in 2001 overthrew the Taliban government in Kabul.

But Abdullah suggested that these efforts, like in other areas, have been hit by the fractious nature of decision-making in the multi-party government.

"It was the commitment of the unity government in 2014... That we will start implementing reforms. We started very late. Why did we do that?" he asked.

Abdullah's defeats in 2009 and then again in 2014 -- when he won the first round but slumped to a surprise defeat in the second -- led to political crises which threatened to unravel the country's fragile political system.

Should observers fear another tainted poll?&nbsp;

"There were a lot of lessons from the parliamentary elections. Should we and other relevant institutions deal with them thoroughly and seriously we can have and we should have better elections than in 2014," he said.

The Taliban in Afghanistan have not yet shown any sign they are serious about ending their 17-year insurgency despite US efforts to push a fresh peace process, the country's de facto prime minister has said.

The Taliban in Afghanistan have not yet shown any sign they are serious about ending their 17-year insurgency despite US efforts to push a fresh peace process, the country's de facto prime minister has said. Abdullah Abdullah, who serves as "chief executive" of the unity government in Kabul, struck a far more sceptical tone about the prospects of a deal than his political rival, President Ashraf Ghani, and his Western counterparts. Ghani said earlier this month it was "not a question of if, but when" an agreement would be reached with the Taliban, while the US envoy to the country even raised the possibility of a breakthrough before presidential elections in April. "Recently there are renewed efforts in terms of the international community and especially the US," Abdullah told AFP during a wide-ranging interview in Paris that also covered his own political ambitions. "We are not judging it too prematurely, but I would say that our experience as of now has been that they (the Taliban) have not shown any intention to get seriously engaged in the peace negotiations," he added. The comment on Wednesday came after the latest atrocity targeting civilians in Kabul when a bomber killed 55 people at a banquet hall at a ceremony to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. Abdullah, a political veteran of the fight against Soviet forces in the 1980s and Taliban rule in the 90s, called it "beyond comprehension." Beleaguered Afghan security forces are also suffering an unprecedented level of casualties across the country where the Taliban and the Islamic State group are stepping up attacks. Returning to Kabul on Thursday after a three-day trip to France, Abdullah said he expected to be briefed fully about the latest round of talks between US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban, which are believed to have taken place in Qatar last week. Whatever the outcome, he argued that Afghanistan should hold its presidential election as scheduled next April despite a recent upsurge in violence and suggestions from some that it should be delayed. "My idea is to stick to the timing, make it work, because it's part of the system and legitimacy of the system depends on the elections," he said. "At the same time, continue the efforts on peace with full vigour." He downplayed any suggestion of a pre-election breakthrough with the Taliban. "It will be very surprising if that happens, but should it happen ... That would be welcomed by the people of Afghanistan," he added. Abdullah has kept up suspense about his own political ambitions after twice running for president in 2009 and 2014 in campaigns that ended bitterly amid accusations of fraud. After being beaten in 2014 by Ghani, Abdullah agreed to become prime minister of the unity government in a US-brokered deal -- but the rivalry between the two men continues. "I will actively be involved one way or another, but I have not made that final decision," Abdullah said when asked if he would run in 2019. Looking ahead to next April's vote, Abdullah was candid about the lack of progress made in correcting the weaknesses in Afghanistan's fraud-plagued electoral system. He said he was "disappointed" by parliamentary elections in October, which were marred by a shambolic rollout of new biometric polling technology and missing or incomplete voter lists. "Our expectations for the parliamentary elections and the conduct of them was much higher, and the people's expectations were much higher," he said. There were thousands of complaints lodged against the Independent Electoral Commission, although four million voters did defy the security worries to turn out and cast a ballot. The unity government had pledged to tackle problems that have repeatedly undermined faith in Afghan elections since the US-led invasion in 2001 overthrew the Taliban government in Kabul. But Abdullah suggested that these efforts, like in other areas, have been hit by the fractious nature of decision-making in the multi-party government. "It was the commitment of the unity government in 2014... That we will start implementing reforms. We started very late. Why did we do that?" he asked. Abdullah's defeats in 2009 and then again in 2014 -- when he won the first round but slumped to a surprise defeat in the second -- led to political crises which threatened to unravel the country's fragile political system. Should observers fear another tainted poll? "There were a lot of lessons from the parliamentary elections. Should we and other relevant institutions deal with them thoroughly and seriously we can have and we should have better elections than in 2014," he said.

Afghan Taliban not serious about peace, says government chief

Representatives from the Taliban met an Afghan government delegation in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss security ahead of next month's parliamentary elections and a limited prisoner release, three Taliban officials said.

The meeting comes less than a month before voters are due to go to the polls on October 20 to elect a new Afghan parliament, a process which has been hampered by fears of attacks on polling stations and campaign rallies.

Ensuring the election passes off smoothly and without violence has been a top priority for the Afghan government and its international partners.

"They requested us to help them conduct peaceful elections," said one of the Taliban leaders.

"The Afghan delegation has agreed with us on the release of prisoners," he said, adding that some prisoners facing minor charges had already been released and officials had divided up others into three categories, depending on their importance, for future release.

Both President Ashraf Ghani's office and the US&nbsp;State Department declined to comment. No comment was available from Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's main spokesman.

The Taliban, who regard the internationally recognised Afghan government as an illegitimate regime imposed by foreign powers, have generally insisted on negotiating only with the United States but there have been regular unofficial contacts.

Earlier this year, Washington dropped its refusal to talk with the Taliban, saying the United States would be willing to participate in Afghan-led peace talks and US and Taliban delegations met for talks in Doha, Qatar, in July.

The meeting in Saudi Arabia came after plans for another meeting with American officials broke down over US&nbsp;demands for a three-month ceasefire, the Taliban representatives said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Some of our senior people were not in the favour of holding talks with the Afghan government as until now we were calling them puppets and refused to meet them," said one senior Taliban leader in Qatar.

"But our proposed meeting with the Americans failed to take place due to certain reasons," he said.

The officials said US&nbsp;demands for a ceasefire was something the leadership could not agree to. As a result, no formal meeting was held although there were informal contacts.

"Our agreement for holding the meeting was only to discuss prisoner exchange and the removal of our people from the UN black list so they can travel," said one senior Taliban leader from the movement's political office in Qatar.

Representatives from the Taliban met an Afghan government delegation in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss security ahead of next month's parliamentary elections and a limited prisoner release, three Taliban officials said.

Representatives from the Taliban met an Afghan government delegation in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss security ahead of next month's parliamentary elections and a limited prisoner release, three Taliban officials said. The meeting comes less than a month before voters are due to go to the polls on October 20 to elect a new Afghan parliament, a process which has been hampered by fears of attacks on polling stations and campaign rallies. Ensuring the election passes off smoothly and without violence has been a top priority for the Afghan government and its international partners. "They requested us to help them conduct peaceful elections," said one of the Taliban leaders. "The Afghan delegation has agreed with us on the release of prisoners," he said, adding that some prisoners facing minor charges had already been released and officials had divided up others into three categories, depending on their importance, for future release. Both President Ashraf Ghani's office and the US State Department declined to comment. No comment was available from Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's main spokesman. The Taliban, who regard the internationally recognised Afghan government as an illegitimate regime imposed by foreign powers, have generally insisted on negotiating only with the United States but there have been regular unofficial contacts. Earlier this year, Washington dropped its refusal to talk with the Taliban, saying the United States would be willing to participate in Afghan-led peace talks and US and Taliban delegations met for talks in Doha, Qatar, in July. The meeting in Saudi Arabia came after plans for another meeting with American officials broke down over US demands for a three-month ceasefire, the Taliban representatives said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Some of our senior people were not in the favour of holding talks with the Afghan government as until now we were calling them puppets and refused to meet them," said one senior Taliban leader in Qatar. "But our proposed meeting with the Americans failed to take place due to certain reasons," he said. The officials said US demands for a ceasefire was something the leadership could not agree to. As a result, no formal meeting was held although there were informal contacts. "Our agreement for holding the meeting was only to discuss prisoner exchange and the removal of our people from the UN black list so they can travel," said one senior Taliban leader from the movement's political office in Qatar.

Taliban meets Afghan officials in Saudi Arabia ahead of election: Report

The Afghan Taliban denounced "American occupying forces" for attacking their Voice of Shariah radio station in the central province of Ghazni, but the United States denied the charge and said Afghan air force planes had targeted a broadcasting tower.

The "Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate" will "not show restraint regarding such evil enemy actions any more", the Taliban said of Sunday's attack which they said involved five US aircraft.

"The claimants of democracy and freedom of speech exposed their true nature and showed that they have absolutely no respect for the views, voice and media of their opposition," the Taliban, who have hit media targets themselves in the past, said in a statement.

"They only use the slogans of 'freedom of speech' to force their own views, culture and colonial agendas on foreign nations."

In 2016, seven Tolo TV employees were killed by a Taliban suicide attacker who rammed a car bomb into a bus driving them home from the station. The Taliban had warned earlier that they considered journalists legitimate targets.

A spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said the Taliban statement "speaks volumes with regards to the capabilities" of the Afghan air force.

"It was two Afghan Air Force A-29s (not five US aircraft) that conducted the strike on a Taliban radio broadcasting tower (not radio station) on June 10," Lieutenant-Colonel Martin O'Donnell said.

The Taliban, seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster at the hands of US-led troops, announced a surprise ceasefire over the Eid al-Fitr holiday beginning at the end of this week, but said attacks against foreign forces would continue.

Earlier, the government announced a truce for the end-of-Ramadan holiday.

US President Donald Trump in August unveiled a more hawkish military approach to Afghanistan under the Resolute Support mission, including a surge in air strikes, aimed at forcing the Taliban to the negotiating table.

The Taliban, seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster at the hands of US-led troops, announced a surprise ceasefire over the Eid al-Fitr holiday beginning at the end of this week.

The Afghan Taliban denounced "American occupying forces" for attacking their Voice of Shariah radio station in the central province of Ghazni, but the United States denied the charge and said Afghan air force planes had targeted a broadcasting tower. The "Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate" will "not show restraint regarding such evil enemy actions any more", the Taliban said of Sunday's attack which they said involved five US aircraft. "The claimants of democracy and freedom of speech exposed their true nature and showed that they have absolutely no respect for the views, voice and media of their opposition," the Taliban, who have hit media targets themselves in the past, said in a statement. "They only use the slogans of 'freedom of speech' to force their own views, culture and colonial agendas on foreign nations." In 2016, seven Tolo TV employees were killed by a Taliban suicide attacker who rammed a car bomb into a bus driving them home from the station. The Taliban had warned earlier that they considered journalists legitimate targets. A spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said the Taliban statement "speaks volumes with regards to the capabilities" of the Afghan air force. "It was two Afghan Air Force A-29s (not five US aircraft) that conducted the strike on a Taliban radio broadcasting tower (not radio station) on June 10," Lieutenant-Colonel Martin O'Donnell said. The Taliban, seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster at the hands of US-led troops, announced a surprise ceasefire over the Eid al-Fitr holiday beginning at the end of this week, but said attacks against foreign forces would continue. Earlier, the government announced a truce for the end-of-Ramadan holiday. US President Donald Trump in August unveiled a more hawkish military approach to Afghanistan under the Resolute Support mission, including a surge in air strikes, aimed at forcing the Taliban to the negotiating table.

'American occupying forces' attacked Voice of Shariah radio station: Taliban

Pakistan should become a "trading nation'' rather than a ''warrior nation" while ensuring it does not turn into China's pawn, Islamabad's former envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani, has said.

In an interview to PTI, Haqqani said Pakistan also needs to take a call on what is more important? supporting terror suspect Hafiz Saeed or gaining international credibility and respect.

Amid the consolidation of the already-robust Sino-Pak ties, Haqqani, who served as ambassador to the US from 2008 to 2011, stressed Pakistan should not go from being dependent on the US to rely on China and must refrain from becoming a "Chinese pawn".

Pakistan needs to build a self-sustaining economy, he said, warning Islamabad of the pitfalls of aligning with a major power.

Haqqani, who was in India last week for the launch of his new book 'Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State', said the country needs to "re-think its overall direction", including in the economic sector.

Pakistan&nbspshould become a "trading nation rather than a warrior nation" and start thinking about geo-economics rather than geostrategy, said the 61-year-old former diplomat and author of 'Pakistan Between Mosque and Military' and 'India v Pakistan: Why Can't We Just Be Friends', among other books.

"Trying to take advantage of its strategic location by allowing itself to be used by one major power or another has brought Pakistan to the present situation and if we continue to play the same game, the result is not going to be very different in the future, he said.

While Islamabad should seek good relations with Beijing, "there is no reason why Pakistan should become a Chinese pawn in the mistaken belief" that this would somehow make it a power in its own right, he said when asked if Pakistan's dependence on China could prove counterproductive.

His remarks assume significance as in January, the US had suspended more than $1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing it of harbouring terror groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Afghan guerilla group Haqqani Network.

After US President Donald Trump had lashed out at Pakistan earlier this year for providing "safe havens" to terrorists, China had defended Islamabad, saying the world community should acknowledge its all-weather ally's "outstanding contribution" to counter terrorism.

Asked if America's tougher stance against terror would push Islamabad into a robust military alliance with Beijing, Haqqani said the more America and India came close, the more Pakistan would try to strengthen its ties with China.

"But, for Pakistan's own sake, it would be useful to have relationships with multiple partners. Dependence on the US did not prove useful for Pakistan in the 50s and 60s dependence on China will not necessarily be the key to Pakistan's progress in the 21st century," said Haqqani,

who lives in the US, where he is Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia at the Washington-based Hudson Institute.

Haqqani was removed as Pakistan's envoy to the US for his alleged role in what is known as the Memogate controversy, which revolved around a memorandum seeking help from the Obama administration after the killing of Osama bin Laden to avert a military takeover of the civilian government in his country.

Asked if the suspension of American aid had brought about a change in Pakistan's attitude, Haqqani said the establishment had not changed its world view and was still hoping that logistical and other considerations would make the Trump administration soften its stance.

On the possibility of power blocs being formed in the region, he said a "new Cold War" in which Pakistan aligns with China and India with the United States was not going to be positive for South Asia.

"I think that aligning with one major power against another is not the recipe for economic growth and success for a country like Pakistan," said Haqqani, who also served as the Pakistani envoy to Sri Lanka from 1992 to 1993.

The former diplomat, who is often critical of the Pakistani military, rued that the power structure in the country had not changed fundamentally and national security and foreign policy remained in the hands of the Army.

Pakistan has made distinctions between terror groups that have acted against it and those that have acted outside the country, and that distinction had not worked to its advantage, he said.

Islamabad's insistence on "mainstreaming terrorists" rather than marginalising them was going to be counter-productive for the country, he held.

Haqqani also said the Kashmir issue could be put on the back burner to build normal Indo-Pak relations.

"It is also a reality that the problem of Kashmir has not been solved in 70 years. And if Pakistan insists on solving the Kashmir problem before moving forward on normal relations with India, then it may have to wait for another 70 years," he said.

Haqqani said Pakistan also needs to take a call on what is more important? supporting terror suspect Hafiz Saeed or gaining international credibility and respect

Pakistan should become a "trading nation'' rather than a ''warrior nation" while ensuring it does not turn into China's pawn, Islamabad's former envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani, has said. In an interview to PTI, Haqqani said Pakistan also needs to take a call on what is more important? supporting terror suspect Hafiz Saeed or gaining international credibility and respect. Amid the consolidation of the already-robust Sino-Pak ties, Haqqani, who served as ambassador to the US from 2008 to 2011, stressed Pakistan should not go from being dependent on the US to rely on China and must refrain from becoming a "Chinese pawn". Pakistan needs to build a self-sustaining economy, he said, warning Islamabad of the pitfalls of aligning with a major power. Haqqani, who was in India last week for the launch of his new book 'Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State', said the country needs to "re-think its overall direction", including in the economic sector. Pakistan&nbspshould become a "trading nation rather than a warrior nation" and start thinking about geo-economics rather than geostrategy, said the 61-year-old former diplomat and author of 'Pakistan Between Mosque and Military' and 'India v Pakistan: Why Can't We Just Be Friends', among other books. "Trying to take advantage of its strategic location by allowing itself to be used by one major power or another has brought Pakistan to the present situation and if we continue to play the same game, the result is not going to be very different in the future, he said. While Islamabad should seek good relations with Beijing, "there is no reason why Pakistan should become a Chinese pawn in the mistaken belief" that this would somehow make it a power in its own right, he said when asked if Pakistan's dependence on China could prove counterproductive. His remarks assume significance as in January, the US had suspended more than $1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing it of harbouring terror groups such as the Afghan Taliban and Afghan guerilla group Haqqani Network. After US President Donald Trump had lashed out at Pakistan earlier this year for providing "safe havens" to terrorists, China had defended Islamabad, saying the world community should acknowledge its all-weather ally's "outstanding contribution" to counter terrorism. Asked if America's tougher stance against terror would push Islamabad into a robust military alliance with Beijing, Haqqani said the more America and India came close, the more Pakistan would try to strengthen its ties with China. "But, for Pakistan's own sake, it would be useful to have relationships with multiple partners. Dependence on the US did not prove useful for Pakistan in the 50s and 60s dependence on China will not necessarily be the key to Pakistan's progress in the 21st century," said Haqqani, who lives in the US, where he is Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia at the Washington-based Hudson Institute. Haqqani was removed as Pakistan's envoy to the US for his alleged role in what is known as the Memogate controversy, which revolved around a memorandum seeking help from the Obama administration after the killing of Osama bin Laden to avert a military takeover of the civilian government in his country. Asked if the suspension of American aid had brought about a change in Pakistan's attitude, Haqqani said the establishment had not changed its world view and was still hoping that logistical and other considerations would make the Trump administration soften its stance. On the possibility of power blocs being formed in the region, he said a "new Cold War" in which Pakistan aligns with China and India with the United States was not going to be positive for South Asia. "I think that aligning with one major power against another is not the recipe for economic growth and success for a country like Pakistan," said Haqqani, who also served as the Pakistani envoy to Sri Lanka from 1992 to 1993. The former diplomat, who is often critical of the Pakistani military, rued that the power structure in the country had not changed fundamentally and national security and foreign policy remained in the hands of the Army. Pakistan has made distinctions between terror groups that have acted against it and those that have acted outside the country, and that distinction had not worked to its advantage, he said. Islamabad's insistence on "mainstreaming terrorists" rather than marginalising them was going to be counter-productive for the country, he held. Haqqani also said the Kashmir issue could be put on the back burner to build normal Indo-Pak relations. "It is also a reality that the problem of Kashmir has not been solved in 70 years. And if Pakistan insists on solving the Kashmir problem before moving forward on normal relations with India, then it may have to wait for another 70 years," he said.

Don't be warrior nation or China pawn: ex-envoy Haqqani to Pakistan

The Afghan government on Thursday accused Pakistan of air strikes in the Afghan province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan, causing "huge financial damage".

The tension comes ahead of a scheduled visit to Kabul on Friday by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, when he and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani are expected to discuss cooperation in stopping militant attacks.

Pakistani jets dropped four bombs on Wednesday evening in Kunar's Dangam district, according to a statement from Afghanistan's ministry of foreign affairs. It did not elaborate on the damage and made no mention of any casualties.

"Afghanistan warns that continuing violations of international norms ... will have further consequences on the relations between the two countries," the ministry said.

Pakistan's foreign ministry and military did not respond to requests for comment.

Afghanistan's Western-backed government has long accused Pakistan of harbouring Afghan Taliban insurgents, a charge that Islamabad denies.

Islamabad, in turn, accuses Afghanistan of not doing enough to eradicate Pakistani Taliban militants, many of whom are based in Afghanistan and mostly carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

The tension comes ahead of a scheduled visit to Kabul on Friday by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, when he and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani are expected to discuss cooperation in stopping militant attacks

The Afghan government on Thursday accused Pakistan of air strikes in the Afghan province of Kunar, which borders Pakistan, causing "huge financial damage". The tension comes ahead of a scheduled visit to Kabul on Friday by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, when he and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani are expected to discuss cooperation in stopping militant attacks. Pakistani jets dropped four bombs on Wednesday evening in Kunar's Dangam district, according to a statement from Afghanistan's ministry of foreign affairs. It did not elaborate on the damage and made no mention of any casualties. "Afghanistan warns that continuing violations of international norms ... will have further consequences on the relations between the two countries," the ministry said. Pakistan's foreign ministry and military did not respond to requests for comment. Afghanistan's Western-backed government has long accused Pakistan of harbouring Afghan Taliban insurgents, a charge that Islamabad denies. Islamabad, in turn, accuses Afghanistan of not doing enough to eradicate Pakistani Taliban militants, many of whom are based in Afghanistan and mostly carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of air strikes ahead of leaders' talks

The United States<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-seeks-real-action-from-pakistan-on-taliban-haqqani-network-36116"> has ruled out the possibility of </a>&quot;hot pursuit&quot; to pursue the Taliban into Pakistan.

Lt Col Mike Andrews, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-drone-strike-kills-taliban-deputy-commander-3-haqqani-network-militants-32314">spokesman for the Department of </a>Defence said &quot;US military forces will remain within the borders of Afghanistan only.&quot;

The Pentagon official said US&nbsp;forces do not have the &quot;authority&quot;&nbsp;to cross over to Pakistan from the Afghan border.

&quot;To be clear, US military authorities are within the borders of Afghanistan only. We have no authority to go into Pakistan. If there is a way to get that authority, but that would certainly be the exception and not the norm and would not be,&quot; Lt Col Mike Andrews said.

Pakistan is under increasing pressure by the US to track down and eliminate the Taliban militants in its territory including the Haqqani Network, a strategy laid down by President Trump.

&quot;Say, for example, we have troops in contact and then the Taliban militants go across the border. They are clearly inside Pakistan then. There&#39;s no change with regards to respecting the territorial sovereignty of Pakistan,&quot; Andrews declared.

&quot;If the Taliban reside in Pakistan and we are able to provide safety and support and to help secure districts and provinces within the borders of Afghanistan, I think that that is a tradeoff that we&#39;re willing to make,&quot; Andrews said, adding, &quot;Because it&#39;s not necessarily about these people over in Pakistan, its about the Afghan people.&quot;

 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYsp78vek4k" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Lt Col Mike Andrews, spokesman for the Department of Defence said "US military forces will remain within the borders of Afghanistan only."

The United States has ruled out the possibility of "hot pursuit" to pursue the Taliban into Pakistan. Lt Col Mike Andrews, spokesman for the Department of Defence said "US military forces will remain within the borders of Afghanistan only." The Pentagon official said US forces do not have the "authority" to cross over to Pakistan from the Afghan border. "To be clear, US military authorities are within the borders of Afghanistan only. We have no authority to go into Pakistan. If there is a way to get that authority, but that would certainly be the exception and not the norm and would not be," Lt Col Mike Andrews said. Pakistan is under increasing pressure by the US to track down and eliminate the Taliban militants in its territory including the Haqqani Network, a strategy laid down by President Trump. "Say, for example, we have troops in contact and then the Taliban militants go across the border. They are clearly inside Pakistan then. There's no change with regards to respecting the territorial sovereignty of Pakistan," Andrews declared. "If the Taliban reside in Pakistan and we are able to provide safety and support and to help secure districts and provinces within the borders of Afghanistan, I think that that is a tradeoff that we're willing to make," Andrews said, adding, "Because it's not necessarily about these people over in Pakistan, its about the Afghan people."

US military won't cross border from Afghanistan into Pak to pursue Taliban: Pentagon

The Afghan Taliban has accepted to join the peace dialogue initiated by the President Ashraf Ghani.&nbsp;

According to media reports, Afghanistan&#39;s Herat provincial council chairman Kamran Alizai said the talks were held with the militant group regarding the same and in return, the Taliban set pre-conditions such as securing employment on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

&quot;The armed group (Taliban) said they will join the peace process if employed on the TAPI project. They will also ensure the project&#39;s security,&quot; said Alizai.

The group&#39;s move was welcomed by Herat governor Mohammad Asif Rahimi and assured to provide them with employment opportunities after they join the peace process.

&quot;The door is open, the offer has been made to all the anti-government armed groups,&quot; Rahimi said.

This comes after a group of 10 insurgents also joined the peace process in support of the TAPI project.

Meanwhile, Pakistan also supported Ghani&#39;s initiative, in what was seen as the first possible breakthrough in the thawing of frosty ties between Kabul and Islamabad.

The TAPI is an under-construction pipeline which will transport natural gas starting from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.&nbsp;

The pipeline expected to be operational by 2019.

Taliban has set pre-conditions before joining the talks

The Afghan Taliban has accepted to join the peace dialogue initiated by the President Ashraf Ghani. According to media reports, Afghanistan's Herat provincial council chairman Kamran Alizai said the talks were held with the militant group regarding the same and in return, the Taliban set pre-conditions such as securing employment on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. "The armed group (Taliban) said they will join the peace process if employed on the TAPI project. They will also ensure the project's security," said Alizai. The group's move was welcomed by Herat governor Mohammad Asif Rahimi and assured to provide them with employment opportunities after they join the peace process. "The door is open, the offer has been made to all the anti-government armed groups," Rahimi said. This comes after a group of 10 insurgents also joined the peace process in support of the TAPI project. Meanwhile, Pakistan also supported Ghani's initiative, in what was seen as the first possible breakthrough in the thawing of frosty ties between Kabul and Islamabad. The TAPI is an under-construction pipeline which will transport natural gas starting from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The pipeline expected to be operational by 2019.

Afghan Taliban accepts President Ghani's peace dialogue

Pakistan need not kill or capture militants such as members of the Haqqani network that use its territory to launch attacks in Afghanistan but could push them across the border instead, a senior US&nbsp;official said on Friday.

Evicting the militants would put them at risk of attack from Afghan and US&nbsp;forces trying to keep Afghanistan from becoming a launching pad for strikes on the West more than 16 years after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

The United States is pressuring Pakistan to cease providing sanctuary - which it denies giving - to Islamist militants unleashing chaos in neighboring Afghanistan.

On January 4, Washington said it would suspend some security aid to Islamabad to get it to end support for the Afghan Taliban and the allied Haqqani network whose attacks in Afghanistan have killed US, Afghan, and other forces.

The senior US&nbsp;official said in an interview that since the aid suspension - which US&nbsp;officials later said could affect as much as about $2 billion - the United States has not seen any sustained Pakistani effort against the militants.

In the latest US-led push to spur Pakistani action, a global money-laundering watchdog decided to put the country back on its terrorist financing watch list, a Pakistani government official and a diplomat told Reuters in Islamabad.

The US&nbsp;official dismissed suggestions pressure from Washington may backfire and suggested that Pakistan might start by taking smaller, tactical steps, including forcing such groups into Afghanistan before the spring fighting season begins.

&quot;I don&rsquo;t think Pakistan is feeling its oats. I think it`s feeling pressure,&quot; said the US&nbsp;official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. &quot;We have their attention.&quot;

The official said the United States did not have a specific timeline to assess Pakistani cooperation and would be looking to see if Islamabad would take &quot;tactical steps&quot; such as &quot;actions against ... (the) Haqqanis, pushing them across the border.

&quot;They don&rsquo;t have to arrest them or kill them ... just get them into Afghanistan, disrupt some of the infrastructure that exists, make it harder for them,&quot; the official added. &quot;We are about two months away from the fighting season, so now is the time to do some of this.&quot;

Some in the US&nbsp;government doubt Pakistan will comply.

In a February 13 statement to Congress, US&nbsp;Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said Pakistan would maintain &quot;its ties with militant groups, restricting counter-terrorism cooperation&quot; with the United States.

Pakistan need not kill or capture militants such as members of the Haqqani network that use its territory to launch attacks in Afghanistan but could push them across the border instead, a senior US official said on Friday

Pakistan need not kill or capture militants such as members of the Haqqani network that use its territory to launch attacks in Afghanistan but could push them across the border instead, a senior US official said on Friday. Evicting the militants would put them at risk of attack from Afghan and US forces trying to keep Afghanistan from becoming a launching pad for strikes on the West more than 16 years after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. The United States is pressuring Pakistan to cease providing sanctuary - which it denies giving - to Islamist militants unleashing chaos in neighboring Afghanistan. On January 4, Washington said it would suspend some security aid to Islamabad to get it to end support for the Afghan Taliban and the allied Haqqani network whose attacks in Afghanistan have killed US, Afghan, and other forces. The senior US official said in an interview that since the aid suspension - which US officials later said could affect as much as about $2 billion - the United States has not seen any sustained Pakistani effort against the militants. In the latest US-led push to spur Pakistani action, a global money-laundering watchdog decided to put the country back on its terrorist financing watch list, a Pakistani government official and a diplomat told Reuters in Islamabad. The US official dismissed suggestions pressure from Washington may backfire and suggested that Pakistan might start by taking smaller, tactical steps, including forcing such groups into Afghanistan before the spring fighting season begins. "I don’t think Pakistan is feeling its oats. I think it`s feeling pressure," said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We have their attention." The official said the United States did not have a specific timeline to assess Pakistani cooperation and would be looking to see if Islamabad would take "tactical steps" such as "actions against ... (the) Haqqanis, pushing them across the border. "They don’t have to arrest them or kill them ... just get them into Afghanistan, disrupt some of the infrastructure that exists, make it harder for them," the official added. "We are about two months away from the fighting season, so now is the time to do some of this." Some in the US government doubt Pakistan will comply. In a February 13 statement to Congress, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said Pakistan would maintain "its ties with militant groups, restricting counter-terrorism cooperation" with the United States.

Pakistan could evict, rather than kill, militants: US official

The Taliban said on Wednesday, in a rare statement to the American people, they wanted to end Afghanistan&rsquo;s 17-year war through talks while warning the message should not be seen as a sign of weakness and the fight against US&nbsp;forces would go on.

Taliban&nbsp;insurgents issued an astounding 17,000-word appeal to the &quot;American people.&quot;&nbsp;The letter emailed to the media in English and four other languages contained official statistics about the human and economic costs of war.

The letter, sent under the banner of &quot;The Islamic Emirate of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aninews.in/search?query=Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>,&quot; was issued just weeks after a blitz of deadly insurgent attacks in the Afghan capital.

A more aggressive US&nbsp;strategy in Afghanistan including a surge in air strikes introduced by President Donald Trump in August has pushed the Taliban back from several district centers and two provincial capitals.

But the militants control large parts of the countryside and have responded to the more aggressive US&nbsp;strategy with two attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people.

The attacks have toughened both the US&nbsp;and Afghan governments&rsquo; stand against initiating talks with the insurgents, although neither side seems capable of winning the conflict.

&ldquo;Our preference is to solve the Afghan issue through peaceful dialogue,&rdquo; the Taliban said.

&quot;Prolonging the war in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;and maintaining American troop presence is neither beneficial for America nor for anyone else,&quot; the letter said.

&quot;Stubbornly seeking the protraction of this war will have dreadful consequences for the region and the stability of America herself,&quot; the document added.

&quot;As confirmed by your own military authorities, 3546 American and foreign soldiers have been killed, more than 20,000 American forces injured and tens of thousands more are suffering mentally,&quot; the letter said, asserting that the actual casualty figures were much higher but were being &quot;concealed&quot; by the U.S. leaders.

The overall message of these arguments was that the American people should make a &quot;rational&quot; assessment of the war.

&quot;You proclaim to be a developed and civilized nation. We leave it to your judgment to decide whether the prevailing conditions of insecurity, chaos and soaring drug problems in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;constitute reforms or crimes against humanity,&quot; it concluded.

The Taliban, fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the US-backed government, said the United States must end its &ldquo;occupation&rdquo; and accept the Taliban right to form a government &ldquo;consistent with the beliefs of our people&rdquo;.

In their statement, the Taliban did not mention a January&nbsp;27 raids on a top Kabul hotel, in which more than 30 people were killed, nor a bomb attack on a crowded street a week later that killed more than 100. They claimed both attacks.

The militants only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds. A government spokesman declined to comment on the statement.

A spokesman for Afghanistan&rsquo;s NATO-led military mission said the recent Taliban attacks on civilians demonstrated they were not ready to enter &ldquo;good-faith peace negotiations&rdquo; while the government had on numerous occasions made clear it was willing to begin a peace process.

&ldquo;The Taliban statement alone does not show willingness to engage in peace talks. The recent attacks speak louder than these words,&rdquo; said the spokesman, Captain Tom Gresback.

The Taliban said it was not too late for the American people to realise the Taliban can solve problems with every side &ldquo;through healthy politics and dialogue&rdquo;, adding the chances for dialogue were &ldquo;not exhausted&rdquo;.

Preliminary talks on ending the war that kills thousands of people each year have stalled.

But low-level contacts between the government, international groups including the United Nations and groups close to the Taliban have continued even as the insurgency has escalated.

The Taliban said their willingness to play a &ldquo;constructive role in finding a peaceful solution&rdquo; should not be taken as a sign of weakness.

&ldquo;This can never mean that we are exhausted or our will has been sapped,&rdquo; they said.

They said they had no intention to damage any other country or let anyone use Afghan territory against anyone else.

&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

Taliban insurgents issued an astounding 17,000-word appeal sent under the banner of "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," to the "American people"

The Taliban said on Wednesday, in a rare statement to the American people, they wanted to end Afghanistan’s 17-year war through talks while warning the message should not be seen as a sign of weakness and the fight against US forces would go on. Taliban insurgents issued an astounding 17,000-word appeal to the "American people." The letter emailed to the media in English and four other languages contained official statistics about the human and economic costs of war. The letter, sent under the banner of "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," was issued just weeks after a blitz of deadly insurgent attacks in the Afghan capital. A more aggressive US strategy in Afghanistan including a surge in air strikes introduced by President Donald Trump in August has pushed the Taliban back from several district centers and two provincial capitals. But the militants control large parts of the countryside and have responded to the more aggressive US strategy with two attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people. The attacks have toughened both the US and Afghan governments’ stand against initiating talks with the insurgents, although neither side seems capable of winning the conflict. “Our preference is to solve the Afghan issue through peaceful dialogue,” the Taliban said. "Prolonging the war in Afghanistan and maintaining American troop presence is neither beneficial for America nor for anyone else," the letter said. "Stubbornly seeking the protraction of this war will have dreadful consequences for the region and the stability of America herself," the document added. "As confirmed by your own military authorities, 3546 American and foreign soldiers have been killed, more than 20,000 American forces injured and tens of thousands more are suffering mentally," the letter said, asserting that the actual casualty figures were much higher but were being "concealed" by the U.S. leaders. The overall message of these arguments was that the American people should make a "rational" assessment of the war. "You proclaim to be a developed and civilized nation. We leave it to your judgment to decide whether the prevailing conditions of insecurity, chaos and soaring drug problems in Afghanistan constitute reforms or crimes against humanity," it concluded. The Taliban, fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the US-backed government, said the United States must end its “occupation” and accept the Taliban right to form a government “consistent with the beliefs of our people”. In their statement, the Taliban did not mention a January 27 raids on a top Kabul hotel, in which more than 30 people were killed, nor a bomb attack on a crowded street a week later that killed more than 100. They claimed both attacks. The militants only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds. A government spokesman declined to comment on the statement. A spokesman for Afghanistan’s NATO-led military mission said the recent Taliban attacks on civilians demonstrated they were not ready to enter “good-faith peace negotiations” while the government had on numerous occasions made clear it was willing to begin a peace process. “The Taliban statement alone does not show willingness to engage in peace talks. The recent attacks speak louder than these words,” said the spokesman, Captain Tom Gresback. The Taliban said it was not too late for the American people to realise the Taliban can solve problems with every side “through healthy politics and dialogue”, adding the chances for dialogue were “not exhausted”. Preliminary talks on ending the war that kills thousands of people each year have stalled. But low-level contacts between the government, international groups including the United Nations and groups close to the Taliban have continued even as the insurgency has escalated. The Taliban said their willingness to play a “constructive role in finding a peaceful solution” should not be taken as a sign of weakness. “This can never mean that we are exhausted or our will has been sapped,” they said. They said they had no intention to damage any other country or let anyone use Afghan territory against anyone else. (With inputs from Reuters)

Want to end war through dialogue: Afghan Taliban

The <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Taliban" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/afghan-taliban-say-they-want-to-end-war-through-dialogue/articleshow/62931819.cms~Taliban-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Taliban">Taliban</a> said on Wednesday, in a rare statement to the American people, they wanted to end <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Afghanistan" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/afghan-taliban-say-they-want-to-end-war-through-dialogue/articleshow/62931819.cms~Afghanistan-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>&#39;s 17-year war through talks, while warning the message should not be seen as a sign of weakness and the fight against US forces would go on.

A more aggressive US strategy in Afghanistan including a surge in air strikes introduced by President <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Donald-Trump" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/afghan-taliban-say-they-want-to-end-war-through-dialogue/articleshow/62931819.cms~Donald Trump-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</a> in August has pushed the Taliban back from several district centres and two provincial capitals. 
 
But the terrorists control large parts of the countryside and have responded to the more aggressive US strategy with two attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people. 
 
The attacks have toughened both the US and Afghan governments&#39; stand against initiating talks with the insurgents, although neither side seems capable of winning the conflict. 
 
&quot;Our preference is to solve the Afghan issue through peaceful dialogue,&quot; the Taliban said.

The Taliban, fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the US-backed government, said the United States must end its &quot;occupation&quot; and accept the Taliban right to form a government &quot;consistent with the beliefs of our people&quot;. 
 
In their statement, the Taliban did not mention a January 27 raid on a top Kabul hotel, in which more than 30 people were killed, nor a bomb attack on a crowded street a week later that killed more than 100. They claimed both attacks. 
 
The terrorists only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds. A government spokesman declined to comment on the statement. 
 
&#39;Louder than words&#39; 
 
A spokesman for Afghanistan&#39;s NATO-led military mission said the recent Taliban attacks on civilians demonstrated they were not ready to enter &quot;good-faith peace negotiations&quot; while the government had on numerous occasions made clear it was willing to begin a peace process. 
 
&quot;The Taliban statement alone does not show willingness to engage in peace talks. The recent attacks speak louder than these words,&quot; said the spokesman, Captain Tom Gresback. 
 
The Taliban said it was not too late for the American people to realise the Taliban can solve problems with every side &quot;through healthy politics and dialogue&quot;, adding the chances for dialogue were &quot;not exhausted&quot;. 
 
Preliminary talks on ending the war that kills thousands of people each year have stalled.

But low-level contacts between the government, international groups including the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/United-Nations" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/afghan-taliban-say-they-want-to-end-war-through-dialogue/articleshow/62931819.cms~United Nations-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/United-Nations">United Nations</a> and groups close to the Taliban have continued even as the insurgency has escalated. 
 
Progress has been blocked by the deep mistrust between the government and the Taliban, as well as uncertainty about the role of neighbours including Pakistan, which Afghanistan has long accused of aiding the insurgents.

Pakistan rejects accusations that it sponsors the Taliban. 
 
The Taliban said their willingness to play a &quot;constructive role in finding a peaceful solution&quot; should not be taken as a sign of weakness. 
 
&quot;This can never mean that we are exhausted or our will has been sapped,&quot; they said. 
 
They said they had no intention to damage any other country or let anyone use Afghan territory against anyone else.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The terrorists only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds

The Taliban said on Wednesday, in a rare statement to the American people, they wanted to end Afghanistan's 17-year war through talks, while warning the message should not be seen as a sign of weakness and the fight against US forces would go on. A more aggressive US strategy in Afghanistan including a surge in air strikes introduced by President Donald Trump in August has pushed the Taliban back from several district centres and two provincial capitals. But the terrorists control large parts of the countryside and have responded to the more aggressive US strategy with two attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people. The attacks have toughened both the US and Afghan governments' stand against initiating talks with the insurgents, although neither side seems capable of winning the conflict. "Our preference is to solve the Afghan issue through peaceful dialogue," the Taliban said. The Taliban, fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the US-backed government, said the United States must end its "occupation" and accept the Taliban right to form a government "consistent with the beliefs of our people". In their statement, the Taliban did not mention a January 27 raid on a top Kabul hotel, in which more than 30 people were killed, nor a bomb attack on a crowded street a week later that killed more than 100. They claimed both attacks. The terrorists only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds. A government spokesman declined to comment on the statement. 'Louder than words' A spokesman for Afghanistan's NATO-led military mission said the recent Taliban attacks on civilians demonstrated they were not ready to enter "good-faith peace negotiations" while the government had on numerous occasions made clear it was willing to begin a peace process. "The Taliban statement alone does not show willingness to engage in peace talks. The recent attacks speak louder than these words," said the spokesman, Captain Tom Gresback. The Taliban said it was not too late for the American people to realise the Taliban can solve problems with every side "through healthy politics and dialogue", adding the chances for dialogue were "not exhausted". Preliminary talks on ending the war that kills thousands of people each year have stalled. But low-level contacts between the government, international groups including the United Nations and groups close to the Taliban have continued even as the insurgency has escalated. Progress has been blocked by the deep mistrust between the government and the Taliban, as well as uncertainty about the role of neighbours including Pakistan, which Afghanistan has long accused of aiding the insurgents. Pakistan rejects accusations that it sponsors the Taliban. The Taliban said their willingness to play a "constructive role in finding a peaceful solution" should not be taken as a sign of weakness. "This can never mean that we are exhausted or our will has been sapped," they said. They said they had no intention to damage any other country or let anyone use Afghan territory against anyone else.

Afghan Taliban say they want to end war through dialogue

The Taliban said on Wednesday they want to end Afghanistan&#39;s war through dialogue but warned that their willingness to find peace did not mean they were exhausted and that their armed campaign would be sustained no matter how powerful the US&nbsp;opposition.

A more aggressive US&nbsp;strategy in Afghanistan including a surge in air strikes introduced by President Donald Trump in August has pushed the Taliban back from several district centres and two provincial capitals.

But the militants control large parts of the countryside and have responded to the more aggressive US&nbsp;strategy with two attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people.

The attacks have toughened both the US&nbsp;and Afghan government stand on trying to initiate talks to end nearly 17 years of war that neither side seems capable of winning.

The Taliban offer of dialogue came in a statement addressed to the American people.&nbsp;

&quot;Our preference is to solve the Afghan issue through peaceful dialogue,&quot; the Taliban said.

In their statement, the Taliban did not mention a January 27 raid on a top Kabul hotel, in which more than 30 people were killed, nor a bomb attack on a crowded street a week later that killed more than 100. They claimed both attacks.

The Taliban, fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the US-backed government, said the United States must end its &quot;occupation&quot; and accept the Taliban right to form a government &quot;consistent with the beliefs of our people&quot;.

The militants only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds.&nbsp;

A government spokesman declined to comment on the statement and a spokesman for Afghanistan&#39;s NATO-led military mission was not immediately available for comment.

It was not too late for the American people to realise the Taliban can solve problems with every side &quot;through healthy politics and dialogue&quot;, the militants said, adding the chances for dialogue were &quot;not exhausted&quot;.

Preliminary talks on ending the war that kills thousands of people each year have stalled.

But low-level contacts between the government, international groups including the United Nations and groups close to the Taliban have continued even as the insurgency has escalated.

Progress has been blocked by the deep mistrust between the government and the Taliban, as well as uncertainty about the position of neighbours including Pakistan, which Afghanistan has long accused of aiding the insurgents.

Pakistan rejects accusations that it sponsors the Taliban.

The Taliban said their willingness to play a &quot;constructive role in finding a peaceful solution&quot; should not be taken as a sign of weakness.

&quot;This can never mean that we are exhausted or our will has been sapped,&quot; they said.

They said they had no intention to damage any other country or let anyone use Afghan territory against anyone else.

The Taliban warned though that their willingness to find peace did not mean they were exhausted and that their armed campaign would be sustained no matter how powerful the US opposition

The Taliban said on Wednesday they want to end Afghanistan's war through dialogue but warned that their willingness to find peace did not mean they were exhausted and that their armed campaign would be sustained no matter how powerful the US opposition. A more aggressive US strategy in Afghanistan including a surge in air strikes introduced by President Donald Trump in August has pushed the Taliban back from several district centres and two provincial capitals. But the militants control large parts of the countryside and have responded to the more aggressive US strategy with two attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people. The attacks have toughened both the US and Afghan government stand on trying to initiate talks to end nearly 17 years of war that neither side seems capable of winning. The Taliban offer of dialogue came in a statement addressed to the American people. "Our preference is to solve the Afghan issue through peaceful dialogue," the Taliban said. In their statement, the Taliban did not mention a January 27 raid on a top Kabul hotel, in which more than 30 people were killed, nor a bomb attack on a crowded street a week later that killed more than 100. They claimed both attacks. The Taliban, fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the US-backed government, said the United States must end its "occupation" and accept the Taliban right to form a government "consistent with the beliefs of our people". The militants only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds. A government spokesman declined to comment on the statement and a spokesman for Afghanistan's NATO-led military mission was not immediately available for comment. It was not too late for the American people to realise the Taliban can solve problems with every side "through healthy politics and dialogue", the militants said, adding the chances for dialogue were "not exhausted". Preliminary talks on ending the war that kills thousands of people each year have stalled. But low-level contacts between the government, international groups including the United Nations and groups close to the Taliban have continued even as the insurgency has escalated. Progress has been blocked by the deep mistrust between the government and the Taliban, as well as uncertainty about the position of neighbours including Pakistan, which Afghanistan has long accused of aiding the insurgents. Pakistan rejects accusations that it sponsors the Taliban. The Taliban said their willingness to play a "constructive role in finding a peaceful solution" should not be taken as a sign of weakness. "This can never mean that we are exhausted or our will has been sapped," they said. They said they had no intention to damage any other country or let anyone use Afghan territory against anyone else.

Taliban say they want to end Afghanistan war through dialogue

The US has suspended more than US$1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take &quot;decisive actions&quot; against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for US$33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes US$255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the&nbsp;fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire US$900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017 (September 30).

&quot;Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to US$900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

Of these funds, US$400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

&quot;At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that&#39;s the entire amount of US$900 million,&quot; Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

&quot;I prefer not to address that right now because it&#39;s obviously still being formulated as policy. But I&#39;ll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there,&quot; he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

&quot;They may say it&#39;s a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan,&quot; Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

&quot;Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps,&quot; she added.

&quot;People have long asked, why don&#39;t you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region,&quot; she said.

&quot;They understand that, but still they aren&#39;t taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism,&quot; she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

&quot;We have not done anything that&#39;s irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan if they undertake to take the measures that we&#39;ve asked of them,&quot; a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible.

&quot;Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don&#39;t care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani&#39;s is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal,&quot; the official said.

&quot;So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don&#39;t want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they&#39;re going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing,&quot; the official added. 
According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

&quot;Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they&#39;re determined to be critical for national security interests,&quot; the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time.

&quot;Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek,&quot; the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 (US$255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered.

Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan.

However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan.

&quot;Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US,&quot; the official said.

The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance.

&quot;We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we&#39;re talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn&#39;t make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we&#39;re asking for,&quot; the official said.

The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media.

&quot;We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road,&quot; the official said.

&quot;Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration&#39;s immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing,&quot; the State Department Official said.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes US $255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the?fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

The US has suspended more than US$1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them. The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for US$33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Prominent among the suspended amount includes US$255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress. In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire US$900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017 (September 30). "Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters. The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law. Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel. Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to US$900 million for Pakistan in CSF. Of these funds, US$400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network. "At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of US$900 million," Andrews said. During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan. "I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said. According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is September 30 this year. Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said. "They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said. Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said. "Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added. "People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said. "They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said. In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups. "We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question. Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible. "Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said. "So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added. According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law. "Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time. "Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time. This suspension includes FMF 2016 (US$255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered. Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan. However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan. "Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said. The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance. "We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said. The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media. "We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said. "Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the State Department Official said.

US suspends over $1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan

The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert <a href="https://t.co/IZYqxboEVU">pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949096879924527104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan,&quot; &nbsp;said Heather Nauert.

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&quot;Until the Pak Govt takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan&quot; says Heather Nauert <a href="https://t.co/3wMKmXMAwL">pic.twitter.com/3wMKmXMAwL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949097435686617088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The White House on Wednesday said Pakistan needs to step up its fight against terrorism as it defended President Donald Trump over his accusation that Islamabad deceived the US by sheltering terrorists in return for $33 billion aid.

&quot;We know that Pakistan can do more to fight and stop terrorism and we want them to step up and do that. That seems pretty simple,&quot; White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as &quot;fools&quot;

The Trump administration has already decided to withhold $225 million military aid to Pakistan.&nbsp;

Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as "fools"

The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. #WATCH: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × "Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," said Heather Nauert. "Until the Pak Govt takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan" says Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/3wMKmXMAwL — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × The White House on Wednesday said Pakistan needs to step up its fight against terrorism as it defended President Donald Trump over his accusation that Islamabad deceived the US by sheltering terrorists in return for $33 billion aid. "We know that Pakistan can do more to fight and stop terrorism and we want them to step up and do that. That seems pretty simple," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference. Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as "fools" The Trump administration has already decided to withhold $225 million military aid to Pakistan.

Watch: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan

The Taliban told US President Donald Trump in an open letter on Tuesday that the military situation in Afghanistan was &quot;far worse than you realise&quot;, and sending in more troops would be self-destructive.

A senior Taliban official told Reuters the rare decision to address Trump directly was timed to coincide with the president&#39;s deliberations on the future of US policy in Afghanistan.

&quot;Previous experiences have shown that sending more troops to Afghanistan will not result in anything other than further destruction of American military and economical might,&quot; the Taliban said in the lengthy English-language letter.

It criticised the Afghan government as &quot;stooges&quot;, &quot;lying, corrupt leaders&quot; and &quot;repulsive sellouts&quot; who were providing Washington with &quot;rosy pictures&quot; of the military position.

The Taliban, seeking to restore Islamic rule, has waged an increasingly violent insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan government since losing power in a US led invasion after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Those attacks were planned by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from a base in Afghanistan.

&quot;The war situation in Afghanistan is far worse than you realise!&quot; the letter said, arguing that the only thing preventing the Taliban from seizing major cities was a fear of causing civilian casualties.

The senior US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has requested several thousand additional troops to act as advisers to the struggling Afghan security forces. Influential voices including Republican Senator John McCain have also urged an &quot;enduring&quot; US military presence in Afghanistan.

But such plans have faced scepticism in the White House, where Trump and several top aides have criticised years of American military intervention and foreign aid.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Monday that the Trump administration was &quot;very, very close&quot; to a decision on Afghanistan, adding that all options were on the table. However, US officials believe it could take weeks for a South Asia strategy to be approved.

&quot;We have noticed that you have understood the errors of your predecessors and have resolved to thoroughly rethink your new strategy in Afghanistan,&quot; the Taliban told Trump.

&quot;A number of warmongering congressmen and generals in Afghanistan are pressing you to protract the war in Afghanistan because they seek to preserve their military privileges.&quot;

Some Taliban leaders disagreed with publishing the letter as they believe the group is close to being able to end the war on its own terms, while the &quot;Americans are no longer in a position to fight this never-ending war,&quot; one Taliban official said.

The first official said the Taliban was open to &quot;discuss all issues with the United States for bringing peace to Afghanistan&quot; if American troops are withdrawn.

&quot;Everyone now understands that the main driver of war in Afghanistan is foreign occupation,&quot; the Taliban letter said.

&quot;The Afghans have no ill-intention towards the Americans or any other nation around the world but if anyone violates their sanctums then they are mighty proficient at beating and defeating the transgressors.&quot;

The Taliban warned Trump that the military situation in Afghanistan was 'far worse than you realise', and sending in more troops would be self-destructive

The Taliban told US President Donald Trump in an open letter on Tuesday that the military situation in Afghanistan was "far worse than you realise", and sending in more troops would be self-destructive. A senior Taliban official told Reuters the rare decision to address Trump directly was timed to coincide with the president's deliberations on the future of US policy in Afghanistan. "Previous experiences have shown that sending more troops to Afghanistan will not result in anything other than further destruction of American military and economical might," the Taliban said in the lengthy English-language letter. It criticised the Afghan government as "stooges", "lying, corrupt leaders" and "repulsive sellouts" who were providing Washington with "rosy pictures" of the military position. The Taliban, seeking to restore Islamic rule, has waged an increasingly violent insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan government since losing power in a US led invasion after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Those attacks were planned by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from a base in Afghanistan. "The war situation in Afghanistan is far worse than you realise!" the letter said, arguing that the only thing preventing the Taliban from seizing major cities was a fear of causing civilian casualties. The senior US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has requested several thousand additional troops to act as advisers to the struggling Afghan security forces. Influential voices including Republican Senator John McCain have also urged an "enduring" US military presence in Afghanistan. But such plans have faced scepticism in the White House, where Trump and several top aides have criticised years of American military intervention and foreign aid. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Monday that the Trump administration was "very, very close" to a decision on Afghanistan, adding that all options were on the table. However, US officials believe it could take weeks for a South Asia strategy to be approved. "We have noticed that you have understood the errors of your predecessors and have resolved to thoroughly rethink your new strategy in Afghanistan," the Taliban told Trump. "A number of warmongering congressmen and generals in Afghanistan are pressing you to protract the war in Afghanistan because they seek to preserve their military privileges." Some Taliban leaders disagreed with publishing the letter as they believe the group is close to being able to end the war on its own terms, while the "Americans are no longer in a position to fight this never-ending war," one Taliban official said. The first official said the Taliban was open to "discuss all issues with the United States for bringing peace to Afghanistan" if American troops are withdrawn. "Everyone now understands that the main driver of war in Afghanistan is foreign occupation," the Taliban letter said. "The Afghans have no ill-intention towards the Americans or any other nation around the world but if anyone violates their sanctums then they are mighty proficient at beating and defeating the transgressors."

Afghan Taliban warns Trump against sending in more troops

Islamic State (IS) have captured territory around Tora Bora,&nbsp;Osama bin Laden&#39;s former stronghold located in Afghanistan&#39;s eastern Nangarhar province, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/14/isis-afghanistan-taliban-tora-bora-osama-bin-laden" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reports Afghan officials as saying.&nbsp;

If IS can capture the giant cave complex, where bin Laden formerly stayed, from the Afghan Taliban, it would be a large victory for the militants.

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The IS militant group captured parts of the remote mountainous area of Tora Bora region on Tuesday night from the Taliban. WION&#39;s Daniel Pagani reports from Kabul (WION)
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This comes one day after Trump&#39;s defense chief, General Jim &quot;Mad Dog&quot; Mattis, described the situation in Afghanistan in blunt and negative terms: &quot;We are not winning.&quot; Trump will now allow the Pentagon to set troop levels in Afghanistan, and a contingent of a few thousand American soldiers are expected to arrive.

Attacks in the mountain range began late Tuesday night, according to a spokesman in Nangarhar, Attahullah Khgyani, cited by The Guardian. There have been unspecified casualties on both sides.

They also cite Hazrat Ali, a Nangarharian lawmaker, as saying that 12 Taliban fighters were killed in the clash. &quot;Based on our information from local people, hundreds of Isis fighters attacked Taliban militants in Tora Bora.&quot;

So far there has been no official comment from IS or the Taliban.

Islamic States&#39; attack near Tora Bora&nbsp;comes two months after the US dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb in the world, known as the MOAB or Mother Of All Bombs, on a cave complex in eastern Afghanistan, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bomb-video-afghanistan-pentagon-footage-moab-twitter-us-department-of-defence-a7683731.html" target="_blank">reportedly </a>killing at least 36 IS militants.

&nbsp;

Capturing the giant cave complex currently under the Afghan Taliban's control would be a major victory for IS

Islamic State (IS) have captured territory around Tora Bora, Osama bin Laden's former stronghold located in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, The Guardian reports Afghan officials as saying. If IS can capture the giant cave complex, where bin Laden formerly stayed, from the Afghan Taliban, it would be a large victory for the militants. The IS militant group captured parts of the remote mountainous area of Tora Bora region on Tuesday night from the Taliban. WION's Daniel Pagani reports from Kabul (WION) × This comes one day after Trump's defense chief, General Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis, described the situation in Afghanistan in blunt and negative terms: "We are not winning." Trump will now allow the Pentagon to set troop levels in Afghanistan, and a contingent of a few thousand American soldiers are expected to arrive. Attacks in the mountain range began late Tuesday night, according to a spokesman in Nangarhar, Attahullah Khgyani, cited by The Guardian. There have been unspecified casualties on both sides. They also cite Hazrat Ali, a Nangarharian lawmaker, as saying that 12 Taliban fighters were killed in the clash. "Based on our information from local people, hundreds of Isis fighters attacked Taliban militants in Tora Bora." So far there has been no official comment from IS or the Taliban. Islamic States' attack near Tora Bora comes two months after the US dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb in the world, known as the MOAB or Mother Of All Bombs, on a cave complex in eastern Afghanistan, reportedly killing at least 36 IS militants.

Islamic State captures territory around Tora Bora, near bin Laden's former stronghold

The Afghan Taliban will target foreign forces in the country, the group said Friday, as they announced Friday the start of their spring offensive.

&quot;The key objective... will be the foreign forces, their military infrastructure and intelligence, and the elimination of their local mercenaries,&quot; the extremist group said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;The enemy will be targeted, harassed, killed or captured until they abandon their last posts.&quot;&nbsp;

Operation Mansouri -- named after the group&#39;s former leader who was killed in a US drone strike in May 2016 -- will use strategies from &quot;conventional attack to guerrilla operations&quot;, the statement said.

Followers were told they can be &quot;suicide attacks, complex attacks and inside attacks&quot; by soldiers or police turning against their peers.&nbsp;

The announcement came after the Taliban killed scores of people in a raid on an army base in northern Afghanistan, one of its deadliest assaults on a military installation since the 2001 US-led invasion.&nbsp;

Authorities have arrested 35 soldiers who served on the sprawling base, home to the 209th Army Corps, outside the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

The defence ministry says 135 recruits were killed and 64 wounded in the raid. Unofficial sources say the toll was higher.&nbsp;

(AFP)

'The key objective... will be the foreign forces,' the extremist group said in a statement

The Afghan Taliban will target foreign forces in the country, the group said Friday, as they announced Friday the start of their spring offensive. "The key objective... will be the foreign forces, their military infrastructure and intelligence, and the elimination of their local mercenaries," the extremist group said in a statement. "The enemy will be targeted, harassed, killed or captured until they abandon their last posts." Operation Mansouri -- named after the group's former leader who was killed in a US drone strike in May 2016 -- will use strategies from "conventional attack to guerrilla operations", the statement said. Followers were told they can be "suicide attacks, complex attacks and inside attacks" by soldiers or police turning against their peers. The announcement came after the Taliban killed scores of people in a raid on an army base in northern Afghanistan, one of its deadliest assaults on a military installation since the 2001 US-led invasion. Authorities have arrested 35 soldiers who served on the sprawling base, home to the 209th Army Corps, outside the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The defence ministry says 135 recruits were killed and 64 wounded in the raid. Unofficial sources say the toll was higher. (AFP)

Afghan Taliban announce start of 'spring offensive'

Gul Bibi, an Afghan grandmother well into her eighties, never expected to become a fighter. But now she is one of more than a hundred women in Afghanistan&#39;s northern Jawzjan province who have taken up arms against Islamist militants. Nearly all of the women have lost a husband, son or brother to the Taliban or the newly active Islamic State in the province bordering Turkmenistan.

&quot;I lost nine members of my family. The Taliban and Daesh (Islamic State) killed my five sons and four nephews,&quot; Bibi said by phone from Jawzjan. &quot;I have taken up arms to defeat the terrorists so other people&#39;s sons won&#39;t get killed.&quot;

Determined to protect their families, the women approached a local police commander, Sher Ali, in December and asked him for guns and ammunition. &quot;They came to me and said that if I didn&#39;t provide them with weapons they would kill themselves - before Daesh or the Taliban could,&quot; Ali told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

The women are not a properly structured group, he said; they have no uniform and have not received any military training other than how to point a gun at the enemy and shoot.

The Taliban has carried out attacks in Jawzjan for the last decade, part of a country-wide insurgency to topple the Afghan government and drive out foreign troops. Islamic State became active in the province, a gateway to Central Asia, in early 2016, when a Taliban commander and 50 of his fighters declared allegiance to the ultra-hardline group, said Mohammad Reza Ghafoori, spokesman for Jawzjan governor.

On December 25, Islamic State fighters attacked Garmjar village and killed five civilians, burned down about 60 houses and forced 150 families to flee, he said by instant messenger.

A woman in her twenties, who did not want to give her name, said her husband and many other family members had been killed by the Taliban. Now she is fighting back, she said.

&quot;I hit the Taliban with this PK (machine gun), and the Taliban fled. Most of the their men died. I will stand against Daesh and will hit them too,&quot; she said by phone from Jawzjan.

&#39;Fight to death&#39;

The women fighters are not registered with the army or police and the government has not licensed their weapons, Abdul Hafiz Khashi, head of the security department of Jawzjan police, was reported as saying in the Afghan media last week.

Although local police have cautiously welcomed the new defence force, he said, the rag-tag women&#39;s unit has raised concerns among higher authorities.

&quot;We do not support any armed group, unless they come under one of our forces,&quot; Najib Danish, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said from Kabul.

&quot;We hope they join the Afghan security forces, so we can help them as part of our troops,&quot; he said.

But the women accuse the Afghan army of failing to protect their families from the militants.

&quot;First they killed my brother, then they killed my cousin, my uncle and my brother-in-law,&quot; said Zarmina, another woman fighter. &quot;Now that I have taken up arms, I am going to fight to the death.&quot;

Thousands of civilians have been killed in Afghanistan in violence since the Taliban government was brought down in the U.S.-led campaign of 2001.

Afghan armed forces control no more than two thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014.

The United States has announced plans to send 300 Marines to the volatile southern province of Helmand, large parts of which are under Taliban control, as part of a regular rotation of troops helping train and advise Afghan forces.

Russia, China and Pakistan warned month last that the influence of Islamic State was growing in Afghanistan and that the security situation there was deteriorating.

Mariam lost three members of her family in the Islamic State attack on Garmjar village in December. She fled to Qush Tepa and joined the women fighters.

&quot;Daesh came, hit us, abused us, killed our people and burned about a hundred houses. They didn&#39;t leave anything for us. They killed three members of my family. They wanted to burn us, but we fled and came here,&quot; she said by phone.

&quot;When you have nothing left in your life, you will take up weapons and fight to the death.&quot;

(Reuters)

More than 100 Jawzjan women approached the local police commander, asking for guns and ammunition to fight the Taliban and the Islamic State

Gul Bibi, an Afghan grandmother well into her eighties, never expected to become a fighter. But now she is one of more than a hundred women in Afghanistan's northern Jawzjan province who have taken up arms against Islamist militants. Nearly all of the women have lost a husband, son or brother to the Taliban or the newly active Islamic State in the province bordering Turkmenistan. "I lost nine members of my family. The Taliban and Daesh (Islamic State) killed my five sons and four nephews," Bibi said by phone from Jawzjan. "I have taken up arms to defeat the terrorists so other people's sons won't get killed." Determined to protect their families, the women approached a local police commander, Sher Ali, in December and asked him for guns and ammunition. "They came to me and said that if I didn't provide them with weapons they would kill themselves - before Daesh or the Taliban could," Ali told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. The women are not a properly structured group, he said; they have no uniform and have not received any military training other than how to point a gun at the enemy and shoot. The Taliban has carried out attacks in Jawzjan for the last decade, part of a country-wide insurgency to topple the Afghan government and drive out foreign troops. Islamic State became active in the province, a gateway to Central Asia, in early 2016, when a Taliban commander and 50 of his fighters declared allegiance to the ultra-hardline group, said Mohammad Reza Ghafoori, spokesman for Jawzjan governor. On December 25, Islamic State fighters attacked Garmjar village and killed five civilians, burned down about 60 houses and forced 150 families to flee, he said by instant messenger. A woman in her twenties, who did not want to give her name, said her husband and many other family members had been killed by the Taliban. Now she is fighting back, she said. "I hit the Taliban with this PK (machine gun), and the Taliban fled. Most of the their men died. I will stand against Daesh and will hit them too," she said by phone from Jawzjan. 'Fight to death' The women fighters are not registered with the army or police and the government has not licensed their weapons, Abdul Hafiz Khashi, head of the security department of Jawzjan police, was reported as saying in the Afghan media last week. Although local police have cautiously welcomed the new defence force, he said, the rag-tag women's unit has raised concerns among higher authorities. "We do not support any armed group, unless they come under one of our forces," Najib Danish, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said from Kabul. "We hope they join the Afghan security forces, so we can help them as part of our troops," he said. But the women accuse the Afghan army of failing to protect their families from the militants. "First they killed my brother, then they killed my cousin, my uncle and my brother-in-law," said Zarmina, another woman fighter. "Now that I have taken up arms, I am going to fight to the death." Thousands of civilians have been killed in Afghanistan in violence since the Taliban government was brought down in the U.S.-led campaign of 2001. Afghan armed forces control no more than two thirds of national territory, and have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency since the bulk of NATO soldiers withdrew at the end of 2014. The United States has announced plans to send 300 Marines to the volatile southern province of Helmand, large parts of which are under Taliban control, as part of a regular rotation of troops helping train and advise Afghan forces. Russia, China and Pakistan warned month last that the influence of Islamic State was growing in Afghanistan and that the security situation there was deteriorating. Mariam lost three members of her family in the Islamic State attack on Garmjar village in December. She fled to Qush Tepa and joined the women fighters. "Daesh came, hit us, abused us, killed our people and burned about a hundred houses. They didn't leave anything for us. They killed three members of my family. They wanted to burn us, but we fled and came here," she said by phone. "When you have nothing left in your life, you will take up weapons and fight to the death." (Reuters)

Afghanistan: Women take up arms against IS

Taking a tough stand against Pakistan ahead of his confirmation hearing, US defence secretary-designate James Mattis has said that he will tell Pakistan to &quot;expel or neutralise&quot; externally-focused militant groups operating with impunity within the country.

Mattis also said that US-Pakistan ties have had its highs and lows and that he will work towards rebuilding the trust that is needed for an effective partnership.

&quot;If confirmed, I will work with the State Department and the Congress to incentivise Pakistan&#39;s co-operation on issues critical to our national interests and the region&#39;s security, with focus on Pakistan&#39;s need to expel or neutralise externally-focused militant groups that operate within its borders,&quot; said Mattis.

Responding to a question if he supports conditioning US aid to Pakistan, the former Marine general said that &quot;conditioning our security assistance&quot; to Pakistan has a mixed history and that he will &quot;review all options&quot;.

Mattis told the lawmakers that Pakistan should collaborate more with its neighbour in combating terror.

&quot;I believe they should do more to collaborate with their neighbour. We should urge Pakistan to take further actions against the Taliban and the Haqqani network,&quot; Mattis said.

The Haqqani Network is a terrorist organisation which has targeted many Western and Indian interests including the bombing of Indian mission in Kabul in 2008.

Mattis also underlined&nbsp;that&nbsp;safe sanctuaries for Afghan Taliban and other terror groups inside Pakistan is a worry and that he will review efforts being done to deny such safe havens. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Sanctuaries and freedom of movement for the Afghan Taliban and associated militant networks inside Pakistani territory is a key operational issue faced by the Afghan security forces. If confirmed, I will examine efforts to deny sanctuary to the extremist forces undermining the stability and security of Afghanistan,&quot; he said, responding to a query.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Mattis said that US-Pak ties have had its 'highs and lows' and that he will work towards rebuilding the trust needed for a partnership

Taking a tough stand against Pakistan ahead of his confirmation hearing, US defence secretary-designate James Mattis has said that he will tell Pakistan to "expel or neutralise" externally-focused militant groups operating with impunity within the country. Mattis also said that US-Pakistan ties have had its highs and lows and that he will work towards rebuilding the trust that is needed for an effective partnership. "If confirmed, I will work with the State Department and the Congress to incentivise Pakistan's co-operation on issues critical to our national interests and the region's security, with focus on Pakistan's need to expel or neutralise externally-focused militant groups that operate within its borders," said Mattis. Responding to a question if he supports conditioning US aid to Pakistan, the former Marine general said that "conditioning our security assistance" to Pakistan has a mixed history and that he will "review all options". Mattis told the lawmakers that Pakistan should collaborate more with its neighbour in combating terror. "I believe they should do more to collaborate with their neighbour. We should urge Pakistan to take further actions against the Taliban and the Haqqani network," Mattis said. The Haqqani Network is a terrorist organisation which has targeted many Western and Indian interests including the bombing of Indian mission in Kabul in 2008. Mattis also underlined that safe sanctuaries for Afghan Taliban and other terror groups inside Pakistan is a worry and that he will review efforts being done to deny such safe havens. "Sanctuaries and freedom of movement for the Afghan Taliban and associated militant networks inside Pakistani territory is a key operational issue faced by the Afghan security forces. If confirmed, I will examine efforts to deny sanctuary to the extremist forces undermining the stability and security of Afghanistan," he said, responding to a query. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Incoming US defence secretary to Pakistan: Rein in 'externally-focused' terror groups

Taliban gunmen attacked house of&nbsp;an Afghan member of Parliament,&nbsp;with casualties feared.

&nbsp;At least five people have been killed and several wounded.

One attacker blew himself up at the house of Mir Wali, a member of Parliament from&nbsp;southern province of Helmand, killing three security guards, Reuters quoted a security official as saying.

He gave excess to two other gunmen&nbsp;into the compound, where a meeting of lawmakers was happening.&nbsp;

Mir Wali was injured&nbsp;by shattered glass and several others were also hurt, including two civilians who were killed.&nbsp;

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying&nbsp;their suicide bombers were sent to disrupt an &quot;important gathering of security officials,&quot; AFP reported.

Hafiz Barakzai, son of another prominent member of parliament,&nbsp;was shot and killed while trying to help people escape, his brother told Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Police special forces have reached the site and are evacuating people from the vicinity.

A few gunmen are&nbsp;still believed to be inside the house, local news station Tolo News reported, quoting local residents that sporadic gunfire could be heard.&nbsp;

The latest attack indicates to a&nbsp;worsening security situation in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

Mir Wali, a lawmaker from southern province of Helmand, whose house was attacked was injured. At least five people have been killed

Taliban gunmen attacked house of an Afghan member of Parliament, with casualties feared. At least five people have been killed and several wounded. One attacker blew himself up at the house of Mir Wali, a member of Parliament from southern province of Helmand, killing three security guards, Reuters quoted a security official as saying. He gave excess to two other gunmen into the compound, where a meeting of lawmakers was happening. Mir Wali was injured by shattered glass and several others were also hurt, including two civilians who were killed. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying their suicide bombers were sent to disrupt an "important gathering of security officials," AFP reported. Hafiz Barakzai, son of another prominent member of parliament, was shot and killed while trying to help people escape, his brother told Reuters. Police special forces have reached the site and are evacuating people from the vicinity. A few gunmen are still believed to be inside the house, local news station Tolo News reported, quoting local residents that sporadic gunfire could be heard. The latest attack indicates to a worsening security situation in Afghanistan. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Taliban attack house of Afghan lawmaker, casualties feared

&nbsp;

The Afghan Taliban launched an attack on Afghanistan&#39;s northern Kunduz city on Sunday night.&nbsp;

The commander of the 808 Tandar police zone in Kunduz, Sheer Ali Kamal, said the attack began around midnight (1930 GMT Sunday) and that the fighting was still ongoing, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;We are putting all our efforts together to push them back, &quot; he said.&nbsp;

Reuters added that one of their reporters saw at least five Taliban fighters armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machines guns,&nbsp;and rocket-propelled grenades.&nbsp;

Kunduz fell briefly to the Taliban&nbsp;last year and the city has witnessed spurts of heavy fighting ever since with the insurgents hoping to repeat their succcess.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

The city fell briefly to the insurgents last year and they have been hoping to repeat that success ever since

The Afghan Taliban launched an attack on Afghanistan's northern Kunduz city on Sunday night. The commander of the 808 Tandar police zone in Kunduz, Sheer Ali Kamal, said the attack began around midnight (1930 GMT Sunday) and that the fighting was still ongoing, Reuters reported. "We are putting all our efforts together to push them back, " he said. Reuters added that one of their reporters saw at least five Taliban fighters armed with AK-47 assault rifles, machines guns, and rocket-propelled grenades. Kunduz fell briefly to the Taliban last year and the city has witnessed spurts of heavy fighting ever since with the insurgents hoping to repeat their succcess. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Taliban mounts attack on Afghanistan's Kunduz city

&nbsp;A double tragedy befell an Afghan family when a policeman was killed in twin Taliban blasts in Kabul and unable to cope with the anguish, his mother also died, the AFP reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The twin blasts near the defence ministry in capital city reported on Monday claimed police commander Ahmad Salangi&#39;s life apart from at least 40 others who became victims of the attack.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;My mother was waiting by the door, waiting for news about Ahmad but I wanted to soothe her anxiety. I mumbled something, trying to hide the terrible news,&quot; Sayed Agha, his younger brother, told AFP explaining how kins of the deceased police commander were trying to cushion the shock in a bid to calm his anxious mother, adoringly called Bibi Haji.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;But I could not hide it much longer,&quot; Sayed added. The mother-of-six tried to put up a brave face when Sayed burst into tears saying that she had already lost two sons and was &#39;familiar with the pain&#39;.&nbsp;One of her sons, a mujahideen fighter, was killed battling the Taliban and another died of an illness. 
 
Soon Bibi Haji slipped into unconsciousness and was rushed to hospital. Barely half an hour later she was pronounced dead.&nbsp;&quot;I knew she could not stand the pain of losing another son,&quot; Sayed Agha told.&nbsp; 
 
Their funeral was carried out together in their native Parwan province, north of Kabul, today, which was attended by her extended family and government officials.&nbsp; 
 
The twin blasts, which also left 110 people wounded, was one of the worst episodes of violence in the capital. 
 
(WION)&nbsp;

Bibi Haji, mother of Ahmad Salangi fell seriously ill, slipping into unconsciousness

A double tragedy befell an Afghan family when a policeman was killed in twin Taliban blasts in Kabul and unable to cope with the anguish, his mother also died, the AFP reported today. The twin blasts near the defence ministry in capital city reported on Monday claimed police commander Ahmad Salangi's life apart from at least 40 others who became victims of the attack. "My mother was waiting by the door, waiting for news about Ahmad but I wanted to soothe her anxiety. I mumbled something, trying to hide the terrible news," Sayed Agha, his younger brother, told AFP explaining how kins of the deceased police commander were trying to cushion the shock in a bid to calm his anxious mother, adoringly called Bibi Haji. "But I could not hide it much longer," Sayed added. The mother-of-six tried to put up a brave face when Sayed burst into tears saying that she had already lost two sons and was 'familiar with the pain'. One of her sons, a mujahideen fighter, was killed battling the Taliban and another died of an illness. Soon Bibi Haji slipped into unconsciousness and was rushed to hospital. Barely half an hour later she was pronounced dead. "I knew she could not stand the pain of losing another son," Sayed Agha told. Their funeral was carried out together in their native Parwan province, north of Kabul, today, which was attended by her extended family and government officials. The twin blasts, which also left 110 people wounded, was one of the worst episodes of violence in the capital. (WION)

Grief-stricken mother dies after Kabul twin blasts claim son's life

India is set to deliver more arms to Afghanistan to help it fight Islamist militants, Kabul&#39;s envoy to New Delhi said, even if Pakistan is wary of closer military cooperation between countries lying to its east and west. 
 
India has provided a little over $2 billion in economic assistance to Afghanistan in the last 15 years, but has been more measured in providing weapons in order to avoid a backlash from Pakistan, which sees Afghanistan as its area of influence. 
 
Last December, after years of dragging its feet, New Delhi announced the supply of four attack helicopters in India&#39;s first transfer of lethal equipment to the government in Kabul since the hardline Islamist Taliban movement was toppled. 
 
Kabul immediately deployed three of the Russian Mi-25 attack helicopters to go after insurgents, and the fourth will be inducted in the next few weeks. 
 
Shaida Mohammad Abdali, the Afghan ambassador to India, said regional security was deteriorating and Afghan national forces were in dire need of military supplies to tackle the Taliban, Islamic State and other militant groups. 
 
&quot;We are grateful for the four helicopters. But we need more, we need much more. Today we are heading into a situation that is worrisome for everyone in the region including India,&quot; he told Reuters in an interview. 
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<h5>We are grateful for the four helicopters. But we need more, we need much more. Today we are heading into a situation that is worrisome for everyone in the region including India,&quot; - Afghan ambassador to India</h5>
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On August 29, the head of the Afghan army, General Qadam Shah Shahim, is expected in New Delhi to submit a list of military equipment drawn up in consultation with the US military, Indian defence officials said. 
 
It is not yet clear how much would be paid for and how much would be handed over for free. 
 
The equipment includes more Mi-25s, smaller helicopters used for transporting troops and medical emergencies, and spares for existing Russian-origin aircraft in the Afghan air force fleet. 
 
&quot;The agenda for the army chief&#39;s visit is clear. We will be finalising the enhancement of defence ties,&quot; Abdali said. India, he added, had told the Afghans that it would do whatever it could to meet the security forces&#39; requirements. 
 
Indian leader rankles Pakistan 
 
The fact that much of the proposed equipment originates from Russia need not be a stumbling block to an agreement, the United States has said, despite Western sanctions against Moscow. 
 
Russia and the United States share a common goal in stabilising Afghanistan, and India can act as a go-between to help re-equip Afghan forces which fall well short of the capacity required despite billions of Dollars in US spending. 
 
The Afghan government lost control or influence of nearly 5 per cent of its territory between January and May, the US government&#39;s top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report, highlighting the challenges its forces are facing. 
 
But the move to increase cooperation with Afghanistan is likely to aggravate fears in Pakistan of being wedged between two hostile neighbours. 
 
Relations with both countries have cooled lately. 
 
Afghanistan says Pakistan must do more to stop militants operating on its territory, while India has blamed Pakistan for unrest in the disputed region of Kashmir. 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned up the dial a notch by making a rare reference to Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan province in a recent speech. 
 
Asked about the prospect of closer military ties between Afghanistan and India, a Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman said the government did not comment on bilateral ties between two countries. 
 
But he warned against attempts to destabilise Pakistan, which, like its arch-rival India, has a nuclear arsenal. 
 
&quot;Our expectation is that India should not be allowed to use Afghan soil to create instability in Pakistan.&quot; 
 
According to an Indian defence ministry official, discussions with Kabul included the possibility of increasing the number of Afghan officers being trained in Indian military institutions each year from around 800 now. 
 
US support 
 
The United States, which has allocated more than $68 billion to train and equip the Afghan security forces since 2002, has welcomed greater Indian military assistance to fill shortfalls in hardware and personnel. 
 
Earlier this month, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, held talks with Indian officials to find ways in which New Delhi could help the Afghan air force, which is struggling to maintain ageing Russian aircraft because of sanctions on Moscow. 
 
Nicholson said donor nations had contributed $4.5 billion to Afghanistan, but those funds could not be used to buy Russian aircraft or spare parts because of the restrictions triggered by the conflict in Ukraine. 
 
India is not constrained by such considerations and can export Russian-made equipment it already owns or source hardware and spares from Russia to send on to Afghanistan. 
 
&quot;Any additional aircraft or spare parts that India can provide Afghanistan would be greatly appreciated and welcomed by them to help build and maintain the Afghan Air Force,&quot; Nicholson said at the end of his trip. 
 
A Russian diplomat said Moscow supported efforts to strengthen Afghan forces, even if it cannot directly equip it. 
 
&quot;Our policy is simple; we would not like to be involved directly, but we would support any initiative that strengthens the ability of the Afghan authorities to fight against terrorist groups and stabilise the situation in the country,&quot; the diplomat said. 
 
(Reuters)

India has been measured in providing weapons in order to avoid conflict with Pakistan, which sees Afghanistan as its area of influence

India is set to deliver more arms to Afghanistan to help it fight Islamist militants, Kabul's envoy to New Delhi said, even if Pakistan is wary of closer military cooperation between countries lying to its east and west. India has provided a little over $2 billion in economic assistance to Afghanistan in the last 15 years, but has been more measured in providing weapons in order to avoid a backlash from Pakistan, which sees Afghanistan as its area of influence. Last December, after years of dragging its feet, New Delhi announced the supply of four attack helicopters in India's first transfer of lethal equipment to the government in Kabul since the hardline Islamist Taliban movement was toppled. Kabul immediately deployed three of the Russian Mi-25 attack helicopters to go after insurgents, and the fourth will be inducted in the next few weeks. Shaida Mohammad Abdali, the Afghan ambassador to India, said regional security was deteriorating and Afghan national forces were in dire need of military supplies to tackle the Taliban, Islamic State and other militant groups. "We are grateful for the four helicopters. But we need more, we need much more. Today we are heading into a situation that is worrisome for everyone in the region including India," he told Reuters in an interview. We are grateful for the four helicopters. But we need more, we need much more. Today we are heading into a situation that is worrisome for everyone in the region including India," - Afghan ambassador to India On August 29, the head of the Afghan army, General Qadam Shah Shahim, is expected in New Delhi to submit a list of military equipment drawn up in consultation with the US military, Indian defence officials said. It is not yet clear how much would be paid for and how much would be handed over for free. The equipment includes more Mi-25s, smaller helicopters used for transporting troops and medical emergencies, and spares for existing Russian-origin aircraft in the Afghan air force fleet. "The agenda for the army chief's visit is clear. We will be finalising the enhancement of defence ties," Abdali said. India, he added, had told the Afghans that it would do whatever it could to meet the security forces' requirements. Indian leader rankles Pakistan The fact that much of the proposed equipment originates from Russia need not be a stumbling block to an agreement, the United States has said, despite Western sanctions against Moscow. Russia and the United States share a common goal in stabilising Afghanistan, and India can act as a go-between to help re-equip Afghan forces which fall well short of the capacity required despite billions of Dollars in US spending. The Afghan government lost control or influence of nearly 5 per cent of its territory between January and May, the US government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report, highlighting the challenges its forces are facing. But the move to increase cooperation with Afghanistan is likely to aggravate fears in Pakistan of being wedged between two hostile neighbours. Relations with both countries have cooled lately. Afghanistan says Pakistan must do more to stop militants operating on its territory, while India has blamed Pakistan for unrest in the disputed region of Kashmir. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned up the dial a notch by making a rare reference to Pakistan's restive Balochistan province in a recent speech. Asked about the prospect of closer military ties between Afghanistan and India, a Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman said the government did not comment on bilateral ties between two countries. But he warned against attempts to destabilise Pakistan, which, like its arch-rival India, has a nuclear arsenal. "Our expectation is that India should not be allowed to use Afghan soil to create instability in Pakistan." According to an Indian defence ministry official, discussions with Kabul included the possibility of increasing the number of Afghan officers being trained in Indian military institutions each year from around 800 now. US support The United States, which has allocated more than $68 billion to train and equip the Afghan security forces since 2002, has welcomed greater Indian military assistance to fill shortfalls in hardware and personnel. Earlier this month, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, held talks with Indian officials to find ways in which New Delhi could help the Afghan air force, which is struggling to maintain ageing Russian aircraft because of sanctions on Moscow. Nicholson said donor nations had contributed $4.5 billion to Afghanistan, but those funds could not be used to buy Russian aircraft or spare parts because of the restrictions triggered by the conflict in Ukraine. India is not constrained by such considerations and can export Russian-made equipment it already owns or source hardware and spares from Russia to send on to Afghanistan. "Any additional aircraft or spare parts that India can provide Afghanistan would be greatly appreciated and welcomed by them to help build and maintain the Afghan Air Force," Nicholson said at the end of his trip. A Russian diplomat said Moscow supported efforts to strengthen Afghan forces, even if it cannot directly equip it. "Our policy is simple; we would not like to be involved directly, but we would support any initiative that strengthens the ability of the Afghan authorities to fight against terrorist groups and stabilise the situation in the country," the diplomat said. (Reuters)

India set to supply arms to Afghanistan to fight Islamist militants

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