“The first [issue] was that the Taliban miscalculated. The calculation was that the Taliban said, ‘If we intensify the war, shed more blood, we will get more concessions at the negotiating table’,” the deputy minister said when asked what could explain the recent increase in attacks.
The Taliban does not have a permanent force, so they have to bring people from surrounding areas to the place of attack and foreign terrorists join them sometimes, Miakhel said.
The official further noted that the Taliban cannot take control of Afghan provinces, as the government troops have the support of the people
“There is no possibility, because of the morale, the possibilities and the support of the people that our forces have, so I believe that the Taliban can never seize territory or come to power by force,” the deputy defence minister said.
Although the US-Taliban peace agreement, which was concluded in February, set the stage for the intra-Afghan talks, attacks in Afghan provinces continued. The Taliban have reportedly made some territorial gains recently. Last week, the movement managed to seize a large portion of Deh Ravod district in the central province of Oruzgan, a local source said.
Intra-Afghan Talks Go Slow Because of Mistrust
The talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban radical movement are moving slowly because of the lack of trust, Shah Mahmood Miakhel stated.
“There is a lot of mistrust in it [the talks], so it takes a long time to finally [achieve peace],” the deputy minister said.
Miakhel added that peace talks were usually more complex than war, but the Afghan settlement process, however complex, was intensifying.
Afghan Army Wants Peace More Than Anything
The Afghan National Army wants peace more than anything because armed forces are at the forefront of any hostilities, Mahmood Miakhel said.
“The army and the nation need peace more than anything else because they are at the forefront of the sacrifices and sacrifices [happen] every day, their families are in trouble, so war is not the solution and the army always wants peace,” the deputy minister said.
The more intense the war, the more it destroys Afghanistan, Miakhel continued.
He noted, however, that the Afghan Air Force is enough to cover all the needs of the government.
“So it can be said that the air force is enough for our needs, it is necessary for more to be done, it would be better, but the same air force is enough for non-conventional war,” the deputy minister said.
The composition of the armed forces should take their purposes into account, which, in case of Afghanistan, means a stronger emphasis on non-conventional war and, therefore, less need for advanced equipment, Miakhel said.
Kabul’s Goodwill Should Not Be Mistaken for Giving In to the US
Afghan government’s willingness to release prisoners and have face-to-face talks with the Taliban movement does not mean that it is simply following Washington's instructions, First Deputy Minister of Defense Shah Mahmood Miakhel told Sputnik.
When asked about rumours that Afghanistan may have been following the US guidance on its political decisions, the deputy minister said it was an incorrect interpretation.
In September, the intra-Afghan talks, which include the government and the Taliban radical movement, began. The release of prisoners has been one of the preconditions for these negotiations.