The U.S. military says it will honor a temporary cease-fire with the Taliban announced by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Thursday, but will continue counterterrorism operations targeting the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and other groups.
Ghani announced a weeklong cease-fire to coincide with the end of the Ramadan fasting month, Eid.
“We will adhere to the wishes of Afghanistan for the country to enjoy a peaceful end to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and support the search for an end to the conflict,” said Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in charge of the NATO Resolute Support mission.
This week, a prominent gathering of religious scholars known as the “Ulema” issued a “fatwa” or decree calling for a cessation of hostilities between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
In late February, Ghani made a peace offer to the Taliban, which called for talks with no preconditions.
So far, there has been no response from the Taliban, although in an “open letter” to the American people in mid-February, the Taliban called for dialogue.
Last week, after Nicholson revealed there were secret talks going on with some elements of the Taliban, a Taliban spokesman issued a categorical denial, but Wednesday Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s chief executive, confirmed there were “contacts” that he described as “pre-negotiating.”
In his statement Thursday, Nicholson called the temporary cease-fire “another bold initiative for peace,” and said Ghani’s peace offer was “universally supported by the international community.”
