Trump alone forced the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners

- Charge of former US ambassador

- Afghan government ruled out peace talks with Taliban in Doha

WASHINGTON: Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker has blamed former President Donald Trump for the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and their rise to power. He also accused former President Trump of forcing the Afghan government to release 2,000 Taliban prisoners held in Afghan jails.

Crocker added that the United States had completely sidelined the Afghan government in peace talks with the Taliban in Doha in February 2020.

He also claimed that the Taliban had taken over many provinces of Afghanistan only when US troops began returning home.

Crocker indirectly blamed Trump for the current situation in Afghanistan, accusing the Ashraf Ghani government of dancing at the fingertips of the Trump administration.

That is why Donald Trump did not involve the Ashraf Ghani government of Afghanistan in important negotiations and was heavily neglected in making all major decisions.