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By Josh Ledrman
WASHINGTON ̵
The Afghan official, Hammula Mohhim, refused to apologize, according to acquaintances of the incident, returning to Kabul amid the deepening uncertainty about the future of US relations with Afghanistan and the delicate peace talks of the Trump administration with the Taliban.
It is unclear whether high-level communications will continue to decline between the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ganni and the US or, if so, through what channels. Those familiar with the exchange said that US officials were no longer in contact with Mohaib, who had previously been Afghanistan's ambassador to Washington.
Mokhib has also not spoken in the final days of Zalmai Khalilzad, the US Special Representative leading the peace talks with the Taliban. The unusual public struggle of Mojib against Khalilzad earlier last week led to the US ties with Afghanistan to its lowest level since the start of Trump's rule.
For months, the Afghan government has grown frustrated by the fact that it has been excluded from the US talks with the Taliban on the country's future and the presence of the US government in Afghanistan.
The State Department, the White House and the Afghan Embassy in Washington refused to comment on a request for an official apology the American troops there. Until last year, the United States has long insisted on a Afghan-led peace process, which is owned by Afghanistan, in which the Afghan government will be involved in all talks between the US and Taliban.
The Taliban who considered themselves a proper government in Afghanistan has long been seeking direct talks with the United States and has finally achieved this goal with Khalilzad, born in Afghanistan and formerly a US ambassador there.
When despair grew, Mojib came to Washington and told reporters last Thursday that Afghan security forces were "selling" the United States, calling him "humiliation," that the Afghan authorities were disconnected from talks and were not properly informed about progress yours. He suggested that Khalilzad, who was being discussed as a presidential candidate in Afghanistan, is trying to position himself to take over the country.
"Perception in Afghanistan, people in the government think that maybe all of these talks are about creating an official government that will then become a deputy," said Mohhib.
The Trump Administration replied by saying that she had called Mohit in the State Department so that Deputy Secretary of State David Hale could personally dismiss the comments and inform Mohhib that his comments "only help to hinder bilateral relations and the peace process."
"We do not believe in the comments themselves they justified you "Afghan officials argue that Mojib was" summoned "in response to his verbal assassination on Thursday on Khalilzad, arguing that the meeting had been before that is a violation of the US diplomatic protocol to "call" a national security adviser, not a country's ambassador.
But an American official said that, in fact, Mohib's comments were a few days earlier, the Asian Society Yu York, prompting Hale to schedule a meeting with Mohim to upbraid him. At this appearance on March 11, Mohib escapes direct attack on Khalilzad but criticizes the American approach and accuses the US ally Pakistan in sending terrorists to Afghanistan
. the Afghan councilor told the American that he was not a freelancer, but rather sent a message with the full support of Ghani, the Afghan leader.
Mhhipp called on the Trump administration to be more constructive in response to Afghan concerns and warned that if the US continues its current course, it will lose a key ally, the individuals said.
Foreign diplomats and former US officials said the incident illustrates the growing despair in Gani's government, especially before the upcoming elections in which his peacekeeping process will be a key issue.
They said that while the Afghan government's concerns about the US approach were underestimated, Mohov had made a mistake by thinking that such a public reproach for the US would do anything but make things even worse. "The level of disappointment that I think you can read as very high or would not do what it did," said Laurel Miller, acting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2013 to 2017. " But this can not be at the crossroads because the Afghan government continues to depend on US support. They do not have the opportunity to leave their relations with the United States. "
Gani's biggest political rival, former national security adviser Hannif Atmar, rebukes Mojib for insulting the United States and the thousands of American soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. In a statement posted on Twitter, he said that Mohhib had used his US visit "as an opportunity to break Afghan peace talks with highly inflammatory notes."
But in Afghanistan, local media have also published photographs of what they say are rallies that show hundreds of people supporting Mokhib's position and his defense of Afghanistan's right to participate in peace talks. Afghan media cartoons show Khalilzad beats Mojib while Pakistan and the Taliban tie his legs.
The United States claims that even though they are talking directly to the Taliban so far, any final deals will require "intra-Afghan" negotiations. Which government of Afghanistan will participate and sign.
So far, the talks have focused primarily on the possible withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan – the main target for the Taliban – and the Taliban's promises not to leave the territory again
