VOA慢速英语--塔利班与美国的“减少暴力协议”周五开始

A seven-day "reduction of violence" agreement between the United States and the Taliban group in Afghanistan begins on Friday.

A top U.S. State Department official said that, by the end of the month, the Taliban and the United States will sign a peace agreement.

The two sides plan to sign that peace agreement in Doha, Qatar, this month. If the "reduction of violence" is successful, the plan will make it possible for the U.S. to withdraw its troops from the country in time.

Seven Day Ceasefire

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement, "We are preparing for the signing to take place on February 29." He added that intra-Afghan negotiations¹ between the Taliban and Afghan political leaders, will start soon after that. The goal of those talks will be a permanent ceasefire.

But the path to that goal is not clear.

It is still not known who will represent the Afghan government in the talks with the Taliban. An agreement between the parties is necessary if there is to be a lasting² peace in the country. The Afghan election commission earlier this week declared President Ashraf Ghani the winner of the presidential election held in September. However, his opponents quickly protested his victory.

The Taliban also has refused to talk to Ghani's government and protested the election results. The group said that it will talk to government representatives but only as ordinary Afghans.

The Taliban released their own statement on the reduction of violence deal. The agreement involves an exchange of prisoners, planning for the intra-Afghan talks and preparations for all foreign forces to leave the country among other things.

The Taliban also said that the group will not permit "the land of Afghanistan to be used against security of others so that our people can live a peaceful and prosperous life under the shade of an Islamic system."

The terms of the reduction in violence agreement include a seven-day ceasefire. The ceasefire bans roadside bombings, suicide attacks or rocket strikes. Five thousand Taliban prisoners are to be released from Afghan jails.

Reduction in foreign troops

U.S. Defense³ Secretary Mark Esper has said that if the seven-day ceasefire is successful, and the Afghan peace talks begin, the U.S. would reduce its troops "over time" to about 8,600. There currently are about 12,000 U.S. troops in the country.

In Brussels, Belgium, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the developments. About 16,000 NATO troops are in Afghanistan. They are helping⁴ to train the country's security forces. The U.S.-led military alliance could reduce its operations to go along with a peace agreement.

"This is a critical test of the Taliban's willingness and ability to reduce violence, and contribute to peace in good faith," Stoltenberg said in a statement. "This could pave the way for negotiations among Afghans, sustainable peace, and ensuring the country is never again a safe haven⁵ for terrorists."

Words in This Story

intra-Afghan – adj. between Afghan

ordinary – adj. normal or usual; not unusual, different, or special

prosperous – adj. having success usually by making a lot of money

shade – n. an area of slight darkness that is produced when something blocks the light of the sun

critical – adj. extremely important

pave the way – expression. to make it easier for something to happen or for someone to do something

ensure – v. to make (something) sure, certain, or safe

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。