Afghan ambassador: Taliban attacks undermine peace talks

Unrelenting Taliban attacks like dely car bomb that rocked Kabul on August 7 are undermining credibility of negotiations to end nearly 18-year-old war in Afghanistan, country's ambassor to U.S. said.

near-daily attacks across country will cause greater distrust of talks that U.S. and Taliban officials have said are close to producing an agreement and eventual withdrawal of American forces, Ambassor Roya Rahmani said in an interview in Washington.

"It's simply t understandable why somebody with idea of peace in mind would like to continue killing people," Rahmani said in a nearly hourlong interview with Associated Press.

most recent Taliban attack targeting Afghan security forces blasted a busy neighborhood during morning rush hour, killing at least 14 people and wounding 145  most of m women, children and or civilians. bombing was one of worst in Afghan capital this year and comes just after U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilz reported "excellent progress" in U.S. talks with Taliban.

"As a citizen, for me, it becomes much harder to trust and continue with a positive spirit if I feel continuously attacked. I think this is shared by our people," ambassor said.

Earlier this week, Taliban said differences h been resolved over withdrawal of remaining 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and about Taliban guarantees that y will cut ties with or extremist groups, such as al-Qaeda, which was responsible for Sept. 11 attacks.

She said attacks across country could be evidence that Taliban are trying to get furr concessions at negotiation table, or that y want to capture more territory. Taliban w control roughly half of country, but t cities of Afghanistan. 

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Rahmani said she thinks reaching a cease-fire first could have provided a better climate for negotiations and would have instilled "trust that is needed for a successful peace process." 

Khalilz has said he wants a final agreement by Sept. 1 on issues of troop withdrawal and assurances that Afghanistan will never again be a launching p for terror attacks on United States and its allies. Two or pillars of negotiations are a cease-fire and an agreement by Taliban to negotiate with Afghan government.

If an accord can be reached in U.S.-Taliban talks, it would set st for all-Afghan negotiations. However, Taliban, which ruled country under a hardline, repressive regime from 1996 to 2001, has dismissed current Afghan government as an American puppet.

Rahmani said re's way to carry out any kind of negotiated peace if Afghan government is sidelined.

"Who is going to implement whatever you're going to agree to?" ambassor asked. "If re is government in place, institutions to implement what you're agreeing to in peace talks, n how is that going to hold? "I think if y want peace, y would have to sit with government." 

Earlier this week, Taliban issued a statement saying that upcoming Afghan presidential election in late September will be worthless. insurgent group vowed to sabot process through multiple attacks on election sites and campaign rallies.

"It's very unfortunate to hear that," she said. "What I can say what I've heard from our people  is it angers m and motivates m even more to go to polls." 

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