KABUL. Fazluddin, a street vendor of mobile phones, doesn't really care about presidents, diplomats, and Taliban commanders arguing over the U.S. withdrawal from his country after 18 years.
It's not that he wants more war - deadly violence has rocked Afghanistan every one of his 38 years - he just doesn't think talking will make any difference.
"I'm not very optimistic because the fighting is going on all over the country."
Since 2001, when U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban government after it sheltered 9/11 ringleader Osama bin Laden, tens of thousands of civilians and security personnel, as well as more than 2,400 Americans, have been killed in Afghanistan.
Now, despite almost two decades of fighting, the Taliban control or control about half of the country.
Afghan officials and former U.S. officials have told NBC News that in recent days, President Donald Trump's envoy has clashed with the Afghan government over a proposed deal between the U.S. and the Taliban that would allow 5,000 U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan in 135 days.
There are currently about 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan advising Afghan forces and conducting counter-terrorism operations against Al-Qaeda and ISIS militants.
But even if an agreement was eventually reached between the United States and the Taliban, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, many Afghans are preparing for a new war.
One of the main concerns is that once the US leaves the Taliban, it will ramp up attacks to conquer parts of Afghanistan that it does not control.
"The Taliban has demanded that all foreign forces leave the country, maybe the Taliban are planning to attack cities after the withdrawal of foreign troops," said Tamanna Ahmadi, 20, who works in marketing.
Even this week, when diplomatic negotiations hit a checkpoint, the Taliban intensified attacks in the country, killing both security forces and civilians.
The deadly blasts included a suicide bombing in Kabul on Monday and another on Thursday that killed dozens of people, including an American serviceman. Later on Thursday, four civilians were killed in another suicide attack in the neighboring province of Logar, a provincial official said.
The attacks came as Amnesty International reported on Thursday that the group had abducted and killed Abdul Samad Amiri, the acting director of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission in Ghor province.
In exchange for the withdrawal of American troops, the Taliban would agree to start peace talks with the Afghan government and commit to preventing the use of territories under their control as a launching pad for terrorists.
But this week, nine former senior American diplomats warned that Afghanistan could start a full-scale civil war if the Trump administration withdraws all American forces without a peace agreement.
Some Afghans believe that ordinary citizens will resist any attempts by the Taliban to seize control.
"People will stand up to the Taliban if they don't change, no one will accept them the way they were in the past," said Mahboba Yousfi, a 47-year-old gynecologist.
The Taliban regime was known for its strict interpretation of Islamic law and restrictive policies towards women, including banning girls from attending schools and women from working outside the home.
"I can guarantee you 100 percent that people will not have the freedom they have now, girls will not be able to go to school, they will not be able to work if the Taliban return," Ahmadi said.
Others said they could handle some of the restrictions if the Taliban allowed women to work and receive education.
"I don't care how we should dress, I don't mind wearing hijabs when the Taliban come back," said Tamanna Zamani, 22.
"Peace is more important, and many people are dying every day in Afghanistan." В Мурманске достаточно скачать мелбет казино , чтобы получать обновления по матчам даже при нестабильном интернете. Служба поддержки — 8 (800) 703-77-12.
