Doha, Feb 29: The United States signed a landmark deal with the Taliban on Saturday, laying out a timetable for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan within 14 months as it seeks an exit from its longest-ever war.
President Donald Trump urged the Afghan people to embrace the chance for a new future, saying the deal held out the possibility of ending the 18-year conflict.
"If the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan live up to these commitments, we will have a powerful path forward to end the war in Afghanistan and bring our troops home," he said on the eve of the event in Doha.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Qatari capital to witness the signing of the accord, while Defence Secretary Mark Esper was in Kabul for a separate joint declaration with the Afghan government.
The agreement is expected to lead to a dialogue between the Kabul government and the Taliban that, if successful, could ultimately see the Afghan war wind down.
But the position of the Afghan government, which has been excluded from direct US-Taliban talks, remains unclear and the country is gripped by a fresh political crisis amid contested election results.
The United States and its allies will withdraw all their forces from Afghanistan within 14 months if the Taliban abide by the Doha agreement, Washington and Kabul said in a joint statement.
After an initial reduction of troops to 8,600 within 135 days of Saturday's signing, the US and its partners "will complete the withdrawal of their remaining forces from Afghanistan within 14 months... and will withdraw all their forces from remaining bases", the declaration stated.
The Doha accord was drafted over a tempestuous year of dialogue marked by the abrupt cancellation of the effort by Trump in September.
The signing comes after a week-long, partial truce that has mostly held across Afghanistan, aimed at building confidence between the warring parties and showing the Taliban can control their forces.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg heralded the agreement as a "first step to lasting peace".
"The way to peace is long and hard. We have to be prepared for setbacks, spoilers, there is no easy way to peace but this is an important first step," the Norwegian former prime minister told reporters in Kabul.
Since the US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America has spent more than $1 trillion in fighting and rebuilding in Afghanistan.
About 2,400 US soldiers have been killed, along with unknown tens of thousands of Afghan troops, Taliban fighters and Afghan civilians.
The insurgents said they had halted all hostilities Saturday in honour of the agreement.
"Since the deal is being signed today, and our people are happy and celebrating it, we have halted all our military operations across the country," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP.
Close to 30 nations were represented at Saturday's signing in the Qatari capital.
While Kabul will not be represented at the Doha ceremony, set for 1245 GMT, it will send a six-person taskforce to the Qatari capital to make initial contact with the Taliban political office, established in 2013.
Any insurgent pledge to guarantee Afghanistan is never again used by jihadist movements such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group to plot attacks abroad will be key to the deal's viability.
The Taliban's sheltering of Al-Qaeda was the main reason for the US invasion following the 9/11 attacks.
The group, which had risen to power in the 1990s in the chaos of civil war, suffered a swift defeat at the hands of the US and its allies. They retreated before re-emerging to lead a deadly insurgency against the new government in Kabul.
After the NATO combat mission ended in December 2014, the bulk of Western forces withdrew from the country, leaving it in an increasingly precarious position.
While Afghans are eager to see an end to the violence, experts say any prospective peace will depend on the outcome of talks between the Taliban and the Kabul government.
But with President Ashraf Ghani and rival Abdullah Abdullah at loggerheads over contested election results, few expect the pair to present a united front, unlike the Taliban, who would then be in a position to take the upper hand in negotiations.
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Ella sahodarammarkk oru advise, nanga nanga penagitt nangalo onnamatho dushman BJP gellum pole aakiranda, please please ninga ellarum onnaitt genduro chance ullo nangalo oru candidate barumpole aakonu, nangalo raya innoru UP do pole aakiranda
Brother,
Being in respectable position as a minister, he should have thought twice before making a statement. If somebody scribbles against him or speaks against him in social media like Fb and whatsapp let him file a case against them. Or let him condemn them. ಇವರನ್ನು ಟೀಕಿಸಿದವರೆಲ್ಲ ಢೋಂಗಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಗಲ್ಫ್ ಗೆ ಹೋದವರಾ? . ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತನಾಡುವಾಗ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಚಿಂತಿಸಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದರೆ ಅವರ ಘನತೆಗೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು.
In next election, people will decide who is the best loafer and teach him a good lesson. #Ashrafbhai Nxt Mla #UTK Koragajjana gudige
UT Khader Saab. Most of the NRIs from your region know very well that some of your opponents are not just loafers but are ugliest creatures and communal goons. But you don’t lose cool and respond to them in public. Let them go to hell. We are with you. You are a role model for many. So kindly don’t react to the loafers in their own language.
My humble request to UTK is to ignore the cheap level criticism by communal goons. Be it Bajrangis or SDPI. They really don’t deserve the attention of a great social worker and politician like UTK.
UT Khader has not twisted his statement. He never said that all NRIs are Dongi Maadi Gulf ge hodavaru. He said that Dongi Maddi gulf ge hodavaru trying to teach him how to live. And he doesn’t care them. That’s true. Nirva Modi and Vijay Malya also included in dongi parties.
ಯು. ಟಿ ಖಾದರ್ ಓರ್ವ ಶಾಸಕ ಹಾಗೂ ಸಚಿವ ಎಂಬ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಜಾತಿ, ಮತ, ಧರ್ಮ ಪಂಗಡದವರು ಅವರವರ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಹ್ವಾನಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಜನ ಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿ ಎಂಬ ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಖಾದರ್‌ರವರು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ, ದೈವಸ್ಥಾನ, ಚರ್ಚು, ಮಸೀದಿ, ಉರೂಸ್, ಸುನ್ನಿ, ಎಪಿ, ಈಕೆ, ಸಲಫಿ, ಜಮಾತೆ ಇಸ್ಲಾಂ ಎಂಬ ಬೇಧ ಬಾವ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅವರವರ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅಂತೆಯೇ ಕೆಲ ದಿನಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಕೊರಗಜ್ಜ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲೂ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಪ್ರತೀ ವರ್ಷವೂ ಅವರು ಆಹ್ವಾನಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ ಮತ್ತು ಖಾದರ್ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿತ್ತಾರೆ ಇದನ್ನೇ ನೆಪವಾಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಕೆಲವರು ವಿದೇಶದಿಂದ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣದ ಮೂಲಕ ನಿರಂತರ ಖಾದರ್‌ರವರನ್ನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಹೀನಾಯವಾಗಿ ಹಿಯ್ಯಾಳಿಸಲು ತೊಡಗುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಕ್ರಿಯರಾಗಿರುವವರು ಅದನ್ನು ಗಮನಿಸಿರಬಹುದು. ಖಾದರ್‌ರವರನ್ನು ಹಿಯ್ಯಾಳಿಸಲು ಅವರು ಬಳಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಶಬ್ದ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾಷೆ ಯಾರನ್ನೂ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ರೊಚ್ಚಿಗೆಬ್ಬಿಸುವಷ್ಟು ಕೆಟ್ಟದ್ದಾಗಿರುತಿತ್ತು. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಯಾಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಬರಹಗಳೂ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಪ್ರಚೋದನಾತ್ಮಕ ವಾಗಿರಿತ್ತಿತ್ತು.
ಈ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವಿಚಾರವನ್ನು ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಿಸುತ್ತಾ, ಅವರಿಗೇ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿ ಉರೂಸ್ ಸಮಾರಂಭದ ವೇದಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಖಾದರ್‌ರವರು... "ಊರಲ್ಲಿ ಮೋಸಮಾಡಿ ವಿದೇಶಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಕುಳಿತು ನನಗೆ ಬುದ್ದಿ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ನಾನು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಡೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ, ಹೋಗುತ್ತೇನೆ .. ನಾನು ತಪ್ಪಿದರೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ತಿದ್ದಲು ಉಲೆಮಾಗಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಈ ಲೋಫರ್ ಗಳಿಂದ ನಾನು ಪಾಠ ಕಲಿಯುವ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ...." ಎಂದು
ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಈ ವಿಡಿಯೋದ ತುಣುಕನ್ನು ವೈರಲ್ ಮಾಡಿ ವಿದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪ್ರವಾಸಿಗಳನ್ನು ಖಾದರ್ ಅವಮಾನ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂದು ಬಿಂಬಿಸಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದನ್ನು ನಾವು ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಈಗಲು ಕೆಲವರು ಖಾದರ್ ವಿರುಧ್ಧದ ತಮ್ಮ ಬರಹ ಹಾಗೂ ವಾಯ್ಸ್ ಮೆಸ್ಸೇಜುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತೀರಾ ಕೆಟ್ಟ ಶಬ್ಧ ಭಾಷೆ ಬಳಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಾಲತಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಮರ್ಯಾದೆಯನ್ನು ಮೀರಿ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿರು ಖಾದರ್ ಪರ ವಿರೋಧ ಚರ್ಚೆಗಳು ಸಮುದಾಯದ ಮಾನ ಹರಾಜು ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿದೆ ಇದು ಇಲ್ಲಿಗೇ ನಿಲ್ಲಲಿ ಎಂಬುದು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಾವಂತ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಮರ ಅಪೇಕ್ಷೆ.
UTK has insulted innocent loafers by calling communal goons as loafers
Mr. U T Khader,
Please do not twist your statement. You clearly made a statement " Dongi maadi gulfge hodavaru". Even i was a huge admirer of you till date for your simple nature and work which you have done during your tenure as a minister and MLA. But that one statement has made a big difference. I watched the video 2 to 3 times to check about the background. You were referring to a group which conducts meeting in hills(gudde) under torch light. But hope you remember that same group was in your favor when you first contested for bye-election after your father's demise. My request is not to have over confidence, which may result in ego and ultimately result in losing. So many egoistic emperors in the world have lost their empire and power. Therefore, you are not a match at all. If you want to condemn a particular group or party, name it and condemn it in specific & do not make generalized statement. Your statement of "DONGI MAADI GULFGE HOGIDDU" has hurt the sentiments of NRI community who have come here away from their families to earn a livelihood.
Kindly take your time to tender an apology for your words. May Almighty Allah bless you with good health and strength to serve the society and community in a better way.
I think in this state election only one thing will happen for sure "Ibbara Jagala Muraneyavanige Laaba"...
Last year Sangh Parivar leaders were hurt when UT Khader said those who oppose constitution should be hit with slipper. This clearly proved that they oppose constitution. Now some SDPI leaders are hurt when UT Khader said that he wants to learn lesson from Ulema and not from loafer or a person who avoids work and spends time doing useless things. This also proved who are loafers.
“Loafer” is not an abusive or derogatory word. “Communal” is more abusive and insulting word compared to “Loafer”.
Election won't decide anyone's fate. Fate will be decided by the Creator. Our prayers are with self-less politicans like UT Khader.
Feel very sad to see some fringe groups unnecessarily pulling the legs of an honest politician in the name of religion. When I embraced Islam several years ago Muslims used to spend time by fighting each other on religious matters and absurd rituals like Urus, Maulid, ratheeb etc. Now Muslims are fighting with each other by forming political parties. When these Muslims will learn lessons? When they realise their responsibilities? When they stop petty politics?
First of all loafer is not an abusive word. It just means an idle person or a ‘poli huduga’ in Kannada. But the uneducated loafers do not know the meaning of loafer i think. That’s why they making it a big issue.
Dikkara ninage Mr Khader
Bara barutha raayara kudure katthe yaayithu.....
Khader bhai... muslim community had very good hope on you & supported you on full extent... But you are going towards normal politician behind money & seat.... SUPPORT doesnt mean that only to muslims... A true leader will treat all community fair & equally... which congress & other party leaders couldnt do... Instead you are blaming our muslim brothers without having basic knowledge.... Politician doesnt understand normal person way of living that how they spend daily life & how much efforts they are taking to fulfill their family needs...
In sha allah your fate will be decided in this election..
Let the Election results tell who are loafers and cheaters In sha Allah.
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