Atmar says optimistic about peace deal with Taliban

KABUL than he had been a year ago.

"I am much more optimistic than I was a year ago," Atmar said in a briefing to reporters in Washington. "The incentives that are being offered have been strengthened” by the Trump administration’s South Asia strategy”, he added.

Atmar was in Washington to meet US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and other US officials. His visit comes a day after a suicide bomber killed 33 people and wounded dozens of others in an attack near Kabul University.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred during a holiday marking the start of the Persian New Year.

US president Donald Trump authorized the Pentagon to deploy more troops to Afghanistan as part of his South Asia policy in August.

In February, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered to begin peace talks with the Taliban. The Taliban have responded to the offer with skepticism, calling on the US to join the process.

Atmar said the Afghan government had also reached out to Iran, Russia, China, India, Turkey and other "key Middle Eastern actors" on questions of counter-terrorism and peace and reconciliation. "The success of these two strategies critically depends on these actors," he said.

PAN Monitor/ma