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Political parties mull US peace plan that ‘offers’ Taliban 50%
Members of a number of different political parties said Tuesday that under the new US plan for a transitional government, the Taliban has been offered a 50 percent stake in the system with the balance shared between politicians and government.
The sources said they have been in consultations regarding the proposal delivered by US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad last week.
Meanwhile, sources from the Jamiat-e-Islami party said they proposed the power-sharing plan to the US - but said it should be divided up equally between government, political parties, and the Taliban.
Other sources have meanwhile said the Taliban and government have been offered an equal share in provincial seats, ministry representation, seats in the National Assembly, and in the judiciary institutions.
“We are consulting on the plan but we do not accept it. Power should be divided between three players: government, the political parties, and the Taliban,” said Abdul Sattar Murad, a senior member of Jamiat-e-Islami.
The Taliban, have not however commented on this but said on Sunday night they were reviewing the proposal.
First Vice President Amrullah Saleh meanwhile said on Monday that Afghanistan will never accept demands that could jeopardize the people’s right to vote.
He said the letter sent out by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to key stakeholders, was a proposal for a new political structure in Afghanistan, and that it was “shameful” and he would “resist it”.
“Let me be clear I will not sign it,” Saleh said.
But some politicians are on board with the idea and said a “participatory system” under the umbrella of the Republic was acceptable. Others have said they are still discussing the proposal.
“This US plan is not final. It has the ability to change and be adjusted. Politicians will sit down and come to a general conclusion about this plan. The Moscow-Ankara meeting has been used for this plan,” said Hafiz-Ur-Rahman Naqi, the deputy head of Hizb-e-Islami in reference to a planned peace meeting in Moscow next week and a proposed summit in Turkey at a later stage.
According to sources, the US peace plan for Afghanistan also states that the Republic and the Taliban will have an equal say in selecting members of a transitional government within the framework of peace.
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Weakened Iran could pursue nuclear weapon, White House’s Sullivan says
Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses, have reduced Tehran’s conventional military capabilities, Sullivan told CNN.
The Biden administration is concerned that a weakened Iran could build a nuclear weapon, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday, adding that he was briefing President-elect Donald Trump's team on the risk, Reuters reported.
Iran has suffered setbacks to its regional influence after Israel's assaults on its allies, Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah, followed by the fall of Iran-aligned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses, have reduced Tehran's conventional military capabilities, Sullivan told CNN.
"It's no wonder there are voices (in Iran) saying, 'Hey, maybe we need to go for a nuclear weapon right now ... Maybe we have to revisit our nuclear doctrine'," Sullivan said.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but it has expanded uranium enrichment since Trump, in his 2017-2021 presidential term, pulled out of a deal between Tehran and world powers that put restrictions on Iran's nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief, read the report.
Sullivan said that there was a risk that Iran might abandon its promise not to build nuclear weapons.
"It's a risk we are trying to be vigilant about now. It's a risk that I'm personally briefing the incoming team on," Sullivan said, adding that he had also consulted with U.S. ally Israel.
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, could return to his hardline Iran policy by stepping up sanctions on Iran's oil industry.
Sullivan said Trump would have an opportunity to pursue diplomacy with Tehran, given Iran's "weakened state."
"Maybe he can come around this time, with the situation Iran finds itself in, and actually deliver a nuclear deal that curbs Iran's nuclear ambitions for the long term," he said.
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Saudi Arabia reopens embassy in Afghanistan
In November 2021, Saudi Arabia said it was resuming consular services in Afghanistan. It also provides humanitarian aid in the country through its KSRelief organisation.
Saudi Arabia has resumed its diplomatic operations in Kabul, reopening its embassy on Sunday.
"Based on the desire of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide all services to the brotherly Afghan people, it has been decided to resume the activities of the mission of the Kingdom in Kabul starting on December 22," the embassy posted on social media site X.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi recently met with Saudi representatives, expressing a desire to expand bilateral relations. Saudi officials reaffirmed their commitment to providing humanitarian aid and strengthening collaboration in various fields.
In November 2021, Saudi Arabia said it was resuming consular services in Afghanistan. It also provides humanitarian aid in the country through its KSRelief organisation.
Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries, the others being Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, that recognised the first IEA government which came to power in 1996 and was overthrown by the United States invasion of 2001.
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Human traffickers should be sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison: IEA leader
The Leader of the Islamic Emirate has issued a decree instructing the Ministry of Interior Affairs to prevent human trafficking and to arrest and refer culprits to military courts.
The decree containing six articles says that that military courts should sentence human traffickers to one year in prison for the first time, two years if repeated for the second time and three years if repeated for the third time.
The ministries of Hajj, information, telecommunications, borders, propagation of virtue, as well as religious scholars are asked to inform the public about the dangers and adverse consequences of travelling through smuggling routes.
The decree comes as the rate of migration has increased following the political change in Afghanistan in 2021.
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