The Afghan government released 490 Taliban fighters and commanders from its prisons earlier this month, as part of a goodwill gesture to persuade the militant group to come to the table for direct talks with the Ashraf Ghani-led administration.
A total of 887 prisoners will be set free during the observance of the Islamic holiday Eid al Fitr, according to National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib.
“The Taliban prisoners were released unconditionally. They are not required to denounce the Taliban or promise to quit the fight against the Afghan government. Historically, Taliban prisoners who have been freed from Afghan prisons have returned to the battlefield,” said Bill Roggio, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “The Taliban has not acknowledged the release of its prisoners. It has been unmoved by such gestures in the past, and are likely to ignore the latest.”
Furthermore, the Taliban continues to dismiss Ghani’s government which it deems “illegitimate” and a “stooge of the West,” even despite the President’s announcement that the prisoner release was intended to “persuade the resurgent group to engage in intra-Afghan dialogue to end the conflict through diplomatic settlement.” – READ MORE