Mr. Khalilzad is hoping to convince Taliban leaders that the embassy must remain open, and secure, if the group hopes to receive American financial aid and other assistance as part of a future Afghan government. The Taliban leadership has said it wants to be seen as a legitimate steward of the country, and is seeking relations with other global powers, including Russia and China, in part to receive economic support.
Two officials confirmed Mr. Khalilzad’s efforts, which have not been previously reported, on the condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations. A third official said on Thursday that the Taliban would forfeit any legitimacy — and, in turn, foreign aid — if it attacked Kabul or took over Afghanistan’s government by force.
Other governments are also warning the Taliban that they will not receive aid if they overrun the Afghan government, given the rampage its fighters have waged across the country in recent days. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany said Berlin would not give the Taliban any financial support if they ultimately rule Afghanistan with a hard-line Islamic law.
In other posts around the world, U.S. diplomats said they were closely watching the perilous situation in Kabul to see how the State Department would balance its longstanding commitment to stabilizing Afghanistan against protecting the Americans who remain there as military forces withdraw.
Ronald E. Neumann, who was the American ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, described a push and pull between the Pentagon and the State Department in similar situations, given the military’s responsibility for carrying out evacuations and diplomats’ duty to maintain American assistance and influence even in danger zones.
“If the military goes too early, it may be unnecessary, and it may cost you a lot politically,” said Mr. Neumann, who is now the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy in Washington. “If the diplomats wait too late, it looks like Saigon off the roof or the departure from Mogadishu after everything was already lost, and it puts the military people at risk. So there’s no guaranteed right side.”
Another senior U.S. official expressed alarm this week at the fall of the provincial capitals across Afghanistan, and said that if other cities follow, particularly Mazar-i-Sharif, the only major northern city still under government control, the situation could disintegrate quickly.
ThreeCranes on August 13rd, 2021 at 13:20 UTC »
Embassy security is cover. We all know the fall of Kabul is imminent, I feel like what the US is trying to do is stall the fall of Kabul so it happens sometime after the anniversary of 9/11.
Having Kabul fall is one thing, but it it happens around 9/11 I feel as if the American public will be awoken from its recent apathy
Common_Echo_9061 on August 13rd, 2021 at 10:48 UTC »
The original title of this article is: 'U.S. Asks Taliban to Spare Its Embassy in Coming Fight for Kabul' op's title makes it sound like the US is negotiating and not asking for a favour.
EsteemedRogue_54 on August 13rd, 2021 at 09:21 UTC »
SS: As the Taliban swoop in to capture many of Afghanistan's provincial capitals and major cities, the central government hold only four, two of which are currently under siege. As a siege of Kabul becomes ever more likely, the US government has reportedly begun negotiations with the Taliban to avoid a storming of the US embassy in Kabul.
It is hard to not see parallels to the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979 in this regard; as the Emperor lost his grip on power in Iran, the US and the West seemed to intend to cosy up to Khomenei to a certain degree; however, this all came to nought following the storming of the embassy in the same year and the ensuing hostage crisis. In a move grounded in pragmatism, it seems the Biden Administration is keen to avoid a Tehran 2.0 incident, and is most likely using the promise of aid and even potential international recognition as bargaining chips in an attempt to do so.
However, it is not a secret that Taliban commanders and local leaders have considerable weight in many decisions; there is a possibility that even in the case of the Taliban leadership in Doha disavowing such an attack, that a hothead officer on the ground could insubordinate.
One thing is for sure; the government is crumbling, and the world knows it.