American lawmakers seek assurances, transparency on US-Taliban peace deal

Nearly two dozen American lawmakers have sought assurances and transparency prior to signing of a landmark peace deal between US and Taliban in Doha on Saturday to end brutal war in Afghanistan, urging Trump ministration t to make a commitment that would embolden America's versaries and undermine its allies.

US is set to sign a historic peace deal with Taliban on Saturday provided that a week-long reduction in violence across war-torn Afghanistan holds.

Taliban has also confirmed plan to sign peace deal that day.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and defense secretary, Congressmen on Thursday called for prioritisation of American security as US pursued a peace agreement with Taliban.

Dated February 27, letter calls for transparency and highlights importance of keeping US safe.

ditionally, it outlines need for certain security pledges, including that any deal between US and Taliban will be public and t contain secret annexes or side deals.

lawmakers also demanded that re will be intelligence sharing or a "joint counter-terrorism" centre established with Taliban.

"We have serious concerns about reports that United States is preparing to sign a deal with Taliban, terrorists who harboured al-Qaeda before and after attacks of 9/11. President Trump has a proven track record of putting America's security first and ensuring our country stays out of b deals that aid our versaries," letter said.

"In keeping with this policy, we are seeking assurances that you will t place security of American people into hands of Taliban, and undermine our ally, current government of Afghanistan," it ded.

In letter, lawmakers sought assurances that any deal between US and Taliban would be public and t contain any secret annexes or side deals and that ministration would t put American security at risk by pretending that Taliban was a reliable counter-terrorism partner.

letter said decisions about US troop levels in Afghanistan must be me based on US national security requirements determined by conditions on ground.

"refore, any deal must t contain a commitment for a full US withdrawal at this point. Such a commitment would embolden America's versaries and undermine our allies, including Afghan government," lawmakers said.

"Any deal with Taliban will include requirement that Taliban turn over all al-Qaeda leers and operatives who are currently hiding in Taliban strongholds. re will be uneven or premature release of Taliban prisoners," Congressmen ded.

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y also sought assurances that current sanctions and designations against al-Qaeda-allied Haqqani network will remain in place regardless of any deal with Taliban.

"President Trump has taken crucial action to keep our nation safe, including eliminating world's most dangerous terrorists and destroying ISIS caliphate. He kws a b deal when he sees one. We urge you t to commit America to a dangerous deal with Taliban that would abandon President's track record of strengning America and putting our security and interests first," lawmakers said.

Taliban was a terrorist group that celebrated suicide attacks, y alleged.

Haibatullah Akhundza, overall leer of Taliban, sacrificed his own son in a suicide bombing in 2017. Akhundza's top deputy, Sirajuddin Haqqani, runs a network that specialises in devastating suicide bombings, including some of most heius attacks in history of war, letter said.

" American people cant rely on se terrorists to safeguard ir security," it ted.

Observing that Taliban also h a history of extracting concessions in exchange for false assurances, lawmakers said y would accept thing less than a full-scale US withdrawal from Afghanistan as y sought to establish ir totalitarian "Islamic Emirate".

"Our withdrawal would n allow terrorist groups in Afghanistan to grow stronger and establish safe havens from which to plot attacks against us. Any promises Taliban may have me to US related to counterterrorism cant be trusted, t least because group is a long-time ally of al-Qaeda," Congressmen said.

Indeed, if initial US-Taliban deal h been approved in September as was originally planned, one of top al-Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan Asim Umar would likely still be alive, letter said.

"Umar threatened America and answered directly to al-Qaeda leer Ayman al Zawahiri. He was reportedly killed in a joint US-Afghan raid on a Taliban stronghold in September after President Trump suspended talks with Taliban.

"It is our understanding that under current deal, such raids are t taking place - meaning that if Umar h survived a few months longer, he would be outside America's reach," it ded.

agreement struck during talks between US and Taliban, if maintained, may secure a peace deal that would le to a withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, fulfilling a campaign promise of President Trump.

US currently has reportedly less than 14,000 troops in Afghanistan. 

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