Afghans To Release 1,500 Taliban

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – After a series of delays, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has agreed to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture to get intra-Afghan negotiations started. That’s despite the fact that a recent peace deal signed by the United States and the Taliban calls for freeing up to 5,000 prisoners ahead of the much sought-after negotiations. There was no immediate response from the Taliban. Wednesday’s decree came as the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying the level of violence is “unacceptable.” It said that while the Taliban have stopped attacks against the U.S.-led coalition forces and in Afghan cities, the violence in the countryside remains too high.