City
Epaper

Washington: Congressmen ask Khalilzad to testify on US-Taliban deal

By ANI | Updated: September 6, 2019 17:45 IST

A United States Congressional committee on Thursday asked US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to appear as a witness on the US-Taliban deal which is "agreed in principle".

Open in App

A United States Congressional committee on Thursday asked US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to appear as a witness on the US-Taliban deal which is "agreed in principle".

In a letter to the Special Envoy, Congressman Eliot Engel, who is Chairman of House Committee on Foreign Affairs, called on the State Department to stop resisting the peace deAL and to send the special representative to testify later this month, TOLO news reported.

"I am calling this hearing so that Congress and the American people will have the long-overdue opportunity to understand the contours of your negotiations with the Taliban and the potential risks and opportunities that may result," Engel said in his letter.

Engel further claimed that Khalilzad had not responded to his previous two requests in this regard.

"I understand your team has established a framework agreement with the Taliban, and that a copy of this agreement has been disseminated among officials in the Trump Administration and shared with President Gh's government," he said.

"Similarly, the American and Afghan people deserve to know what the Administration's diplomatic strategy is for Afghstan. Your testimony will help inform Members and provide necessary transparency regarding the Administration's Afghstan strategy," the letter read.

"After nearly two decades of war, we all want to see the fighting in Afghstan come to an end. But we want to make sure we are negotiating peace and not simply a withdrawal," he said.

The agreement states that the US will withdraw 5,000 troops from five bases within 135 days, according to Khalilzad.

The incident comes days after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad briefed the Afgan government on an agreement that was reached 'in principle' with the Taliban to end nearly two decades old war.

( With inputs from ANI )

Tags: Eliot EngelKhalilzadTalibanTrump Administrationus
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalIdaho Shooting: 2 Shot at Shoshone County Sheriff's Office in Wallace; Suspect Killed

Social ViralSanta Spotted in US Skies? Netizens Report Red Sleigh Seen Over Multiple Cities (Watch Videos)

InternationalNorth Carolina Plane Crash: Retired NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle and Family Among Seven Killed in Statesville Jet Crash

International'Warrior Dividend': Donald Trump Announces $1,776 Christmas Bonus to Active US Soldiers

BusinessUS Stock Exchange Nasdaq Moves Toward 24-Hour Trading, How Will Impact on Indian Share Market

International Realted Stories

InternationalSouth Korea: Supreme Court confirms ex-NCT member Taeil's 3.5 year term in sexual assault case

InternationalAl-Qaeda builds Afghan digital command to push Caliphate agenda against India

InternationalMouse births pups after returning from space mission in China, paving way for future research

InternationalCambodia, Thailand agree on "immediate ceasefire" after weeks of border clashes

InternationalPakistan: Health sector crisis deepens in Rawalpindi as hospitals struggle with shortages