US says Doha agreement ‘weakened’ Afghan partners

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Wednesday that the signing of the Doha agreement in 2020 had ‘weakened’ Washington’s partners in Afghanistan and empowered the Islamic Emirate (IEA).

Addressing a press conference, Price said in answer to a question on the third anniversary of the signing of the deal that “the agreement empowered the Taliban (IEA), it weakened our partners in the Afghan government, and committed to withdrawing our troops a few months after President Biden’s inauguration with no clear plan for what should come next, despite imposing a deadline.

He went on to say that the US felt the IEA had not fulfilled its commitments to the deal.

“That said, we have seen Mullah Baradar’s own statement, and we of course disagree with the key points in his own statement. Namely, the Taliban have not fulfilled their own commitments – the commitments that they made in the Doha Agreement. While they have taken some unsatisfactory steps regarding certain terrorist groups in Afghanistan, it is well known that the Taliban sheltered then-al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, which flies in the face of the agreement.

“It was only because the United States Government was resolute in our commitment to take decisive action in the face of such threats that we removed Ayman al‑Zawahiri and he is no longer the leader of al-Qaida,” he said.

This comes after the IEA’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said on Wednesday at a ceremony marking the anniversary of the signing of Doha Agreement that the IEA has implemented all the articles of the Doha Agreement, adding security prevails across Afghanistan and its soil is not a threat to other countries.

He accused the United States of violating the agreement as IEA leaders’ names have still not been removed from the blacklist and Afghanistan’s funds remain frozen.

Baradar also emphasized that the Islamic Emirate needs to have good relations with all the countries, and said they are ready for positive and constructive engagement with the international community.

“We need to engage with all countries, whether Islamic or non-Islamic. No country alone can be self-reliant in all areas. There will be definitely something which a country needs from others and with it solves its problem. Therefore, we want to engage with the world,” Baradar said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Economy described the Doha Agreement as a political victory of the Islamic Emirate and added that the signing of the agreement boosted the morale of the forces of the Islamic Emirate in the battlefield.