Afghan prisoners exchange, threatens US peace plan with Corona virus

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The Corona virus poses a threat to the US peace plan in Afghanistan.

According to a Reuters report by the foreign news agency, four sources with information said that if the prisoners of the Taliban and the Afghan government died in custody before being exchanged, US efforts to end the war in Afghanistan would fail.

Two sources said that as the springtime violence approaches, it is important to keep the US peace plan in place and the danger is that as the violence escalates, it will be impossible to stop the Corona virus.

Where other US ambassadors are unable to travel due to the Corona virus, US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad left Doha last week, where the Taliban's office is located.
On the condition of anonymity, the source said, "If many prisoners on both sides fall prey to the disease or die in jail because of this, it will be a humanitarian issue and it will help the Afghans." The interaction between the two will become more difficult. '

A Western ambassador said on the condition of anonymity that "his arrival in the region indicates that the US president cannot see the deal being terminated anytime soon".

"It was very important for American diplomats to have face-to-face meetings to clarify the nature of the messages," he said.

The US State Department did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

It should be noted that on February 29, the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan and to withdraw from the territory of US troops. One thousand prisoners were to be released by March 10.

The Taliban had increased attacks on Afghan security forces after the release of prisoners by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was not part of the deal.

Ashraf Ghani rejected the demand for immediate release of the prisoners and started the release of 1,500 inmates in phases, while the Taliban has so far released 40 prisoners.

Meanwhile, the Corona virus spread and nearly 1,000 cases were confirmed in Afghanistan, including 20 coronary staff at Kabul Presidential Palace.

The diplomat and two other experts, on the condition of anonymity when the matter was sensitive, said the exchange of prisoners would be hampered by the Corona virus, as its outbreak in prisons would create bitterness on both sides.

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Zalma Khalilzad's real intention to meet Taliban negotiators in Doha was to reduce violence and speed up the exchange of prisoners, the former senior Afghan official said.

Zalmai Khalilzad told Afghan authorities he was "extremely worried" by the Corona virus, disrupting the US-led peace process.

Many countries have released prisoners because of the outbreak, experts say, and could also be a source of security for Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban.

“This will give Kabul the opportunity to release Taliban prisoners on humanitarian grounds so that they can show that 'Ashraf Ghani has not bowed to the Taliban's demands,'” said an expert dealing with US and Afghan officials.

"The Taliban prisoner may have begun to die and the government would like him to be released and his death would not be burdened in these custody," he said.

Western diplomats said that Zalmay Khalilzad and Mike Pompeo were both worried that the Taliban would not launch their traditional spring weather attacks.

Analysts warn that this will make it more difficult to prevent the spread of the Corona virus.