US diplomats insisted on the maintenance of US military bases in Afghanistan at the talks with representatives of the radical Taliban movement held in the United Arab Emirates in December, promising support in the restoration of the war-torn country in return, media reported Monday, citing government sources
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2019) US diplomats insisted on the maintenance of US military bases in Afghanistan at the talks with representatives of the radical Taliban movement held in the United Arab Emirates in December, promising support in the restoration of the war-torn country in return, media reported Monday, citing government sources.The Express Tribune newspaper reported that according to the US proposal, the military bases of the United States, which would be located in Afghanistan on a permanent basis, would serve to maintain regional stability and in no way affect the security in the Islamic Republic.
According to the newspaper, the minimal presence of the US forces is a prerequisite for the allocation of financial and other types of assistance to Kabul in the future, which the country is unlikely to be able to restore independently due to the destroyed economy and infrastructure in the country as a result of a protracted military conflict.
"And that's [the issue of permanent maintenance of the US military bases in Afghanistan] been the sticking point in the ongoing talks," a senior official told the newspaper.
Moreover, the newspaper stressed that the United States had insisted on the need for maintaining close contacts with the future government of Afghanistan with the aim to prevent the transformation of this country into a haven for terrorists.
In December, Abu Dhabi hosted another round of talks on the Afghan peace settlement with the participation of representatives of the United States, the Taliban movement as well as a number of influential regional players such as the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The delegation from Kabul also participated in the meeting. However, the format of the meeting did not include their participation in the dialogue with the armed opposition, thus, the members of Afghanistan government met with the delegations of the participating countries.
