A government official told Al-Jazeera that the army chief, General Yassin Zia, has been appointed as the new acting defense minister, while he retains his position in Afghanistan, amid optimistic statements about the Moscow meeting, while the White House and the Pentagon are discussing the future of US forces in the country.
The government official added that the Minister of Interior, Masoud Andrabi, was dismissed due to the deterioration of the field situation, and what he described as the minister's failure to combat financial and administrative corruption in the ministry, and the appointment of Hayat Allah Hayat as acting interior minister as his successor.
In the meantime, the American embassy in Kabul warned American citizens of the possibility of terrorist groups launching attacks during the celebration of Nowruz, and the embassy - in a tweet on its Twitter account - called on American citizens to avoid any gatherings or unnecessary travel.
Yesterday, Thursday, the Afghan Ministry of Defense announced the death of 9 soldiers in a plane crash, as well as deaths and injuries in the bombing of a government bus in the capital, Kabul, and a source in the air force and a regional official told Reuters that the plane was hit by a missile while taking off.
On the same day, Afghan officials said that 3 people were killed and 11 wounded, when a roadside bomb exploded in a bus carrying government employees in the capital, Kabul.
Kabul and the Taliban
Politically, the Afghan Foreign Ministry welcomed the final statement of the Moscow meeting on Thursday, and considered it a step to start serious talks to achieve peace.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it supports the meeting's statement confirming the achievement of a political settlement through negotiations.
But she emphasized that the Islamic Republic is the only acceptable form of it that achieves equitable political participation for all Afghans.
On the other hand, Taliban spokesman Muhammad Naim confirmed that the movement adheres to the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan next May, in accordance with the Doha agreement.
Naim stressed in a statement to Al-Jazeera that the movement is ready to continue negotiations with the aim of overcoming differences, but he denied the agreement with the government delegation to speed up the negotiation process, stressing that only ideas and proposals were exchanged in this regard.
Muhammad Naeem also stressed that the movement is committed to reducing violence in several regions of Afghanistan, stressing that what the other side called would bear responsibility for the escalation of violence in the event that it does not adhere to the calm.
Naim said that I assured all participants in the Moscow meeting that the movement wants a political solution and overcoming differences through negotiations, and Naim stressed the need for all parties to bear the responsibility for achieving peace in Afghanistan.
Moscow negotiations
Russia, China and Pakistan joined the United States in calling the warring parties in Afghanistan to reach an immediate ceasefire, during talks that showed Washington's determination to obtain support from regional powers for its plans.
The Afghan government and the Taliban agreed on Friday on the need to reduce violence and reach a political settlement at the conclusion of their talks in Moscow, but positions differed on the form of the next country and the date of the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country.
The Russian Information Agency - quoting a senior Afghan official - stated that the Kabul government and the Taliban had agreed to speed up the peace talks, while the movement’s spokesman said that only ideas and proposals had been exchanged in this regard.
This step comes after Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan called, the two parties to the conflict in Afghanistan, to reach an immediate ceasefire.
We withdraw .. we do not withdraw
And just 6 weeks before a deadline for the United States to withdraw its forces - which had been in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years - Washington sent a senior official to participate in regional peace talks hosted by Russia on Thursday.
US President Joe Biden discussed the option to keep his forces in Afghanistan until November, instead of withdrawing them by May, which is the deadline set in the Doha agreement, according to local media.
CBS News quoted two informed sources, which it did not name, that Biden “opposed Defense Department efforts to keep US forces in Afghanistan beyond May 1 during recent discussions with members of his national security team, but was persuaded to discuss the extension. For 6 months. "
The network stated that "Biden wants to withdraw," but at the same time the Pentagon leaders raise the issue on the one hand that the Taliban do not abide by the agreement on their part, warning Biden of their inability to guarantee what the movement will do if all the forces are withdrawn.
Pentagon options
The network explained that the army presented several options, including withdrawing forces on or near May 1, keeping forces in Afghanistan indefinitely, or keeping forces for a period specified by Biden, which could include an extension for 6 months. .
One of the sources confirmed that "the decision is in the hands of President Biden." The US network also indicated that the deliberations are still ongoing and the administration has not taken any decision yet.
Biden said the first Wednesday - in an interview on "ABC News" - that he is discussing the date of the withdrawal of his forces from Afghanistan, and he acknowledged that a complete withdrawal on May 1 will be "difficult."
Biden added that he is "in the process of making a decision on the date of their departure in the current period."
Earlier today, Friday, the Afghan TV channel "Talaou" quoted an unnamed Taliban spokesman as saying that the continued presence of US forces in Afghanistan "contradicts the Doha agreement," noting that violating the agreement "will have unpleasant consequences."