Afghan ex-VP urges Ghani to release US peace talk tapes to ‘counter propaganda’

Afghan ex-VP urges Ghani to release US peace talk tapes to ‘counter propaganda’
Afghanistan's former VP urged Ashraf Ghani to release recorded tapes with US officials to counter 'propaganda' that he suddenly fled Afghanistan despite plans for a peaceful power transfer brokered by the US.
3 min read
03 November, 2021
Amrullah Saleh said the tapes will challenge claims that it was the Afghans' fault peace negotiations failed and Kabul fell to the Taliban [Getty]

ڲ󲹲Ծٲ'has urged , the country’s ousted president, to release tapes of his conversations with US diplomats to counter claims that Afghan officialswereto blame for the Taliban's takeover of the country.

Making recorded conversationsin the lead up to ’s takeover of public would challenge assumptions that itwas the fault of the previous government, former VPwrotein a tweet on Tuesday.

Saleh’s plea followed statements by former US representative and US Secretary of State Antony Blinkenthat agreements were made before the insurgents reached Kabulfor a peaceful transfer of power from Ghani's government to the Taliban - before the thenAfghan presidentsuddenly fled the country.

“I call on @ashrafghani to release the tapes (esp Jul/Aug) of the conversations with Khalilzad & other relevant foreign diplmt on peace process to counter the growing propaganda that it was & is all the Afghan fault,” wrote Saleh.

“I know these tapes exist & hope you have them,” he added.

Khalilzad - who negotiated the US withdrawal from Afghanistan ending 20-years of operations in the country - told CNN that when the Taliban were close to Kabul, he tried one more time to secure a peaceful transfer of power. The US wanted “an inclusive government,” he said, “and the [Taliban] agreed not to enter Kabul” while a transfer took place.

Khalilzad said Ghani agreed to the deal, “but he then went away”.

Blinken said on CBS newsthat Ghani was prepared to take part in a power transferif the Taliban went along with it, buthe left the country"very next day".

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Ghani left abruptly as entered Kabul on 15 August.The 72-year-old former president said it was his security team who pressed him to leave so that he would not be captured and killed.

The departure was slammed by Afghan MPs as “gutless”. Ghani maintains “it was the only way” and apologised that he “could not make it end differently”.

Ghani’s fallfrom power followedand the withdrawal of US and NATO troops in a scheduled military exit. Khalilzad claims Ghani never believed all US troopswould leaveAfghanistan.

In a follow-up tweet, Salehsaid conversations in July and August were recorded between Afghan and US officials when “Khalilzad’s deceptions became apparent”.

“Now that salt is sprinkled on the wounds of our nation every day, it is necessary to publish these conversations so that whoever is in his grief will turn black,” Saleh added.