As Taliban Encircle Kabul, Afghan President Says He Seeks to Avoid Further Bloodshed

KABUL—Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday reported he started off consultations on how to unite the region and protect against further bloodshed, as the Taliban tightened their grip, seizing supplemental provincial capitals.

Mr. Ghani—in his initial general public remarks due to the fact the Taliban swept by way of southern and western Afghanistan, capturing the main towns of Kandahar and Herat—said his priority is to remobilize the Afghan protection forces that surrendered en masse.

“As a historic duty, I am hoping to not enable the war that has been imposed on the Afghan individuals bring about the further killing of innocents, the decline of 20 years of achievement, the destruction of general public institutions and longstanding instability,” Mr. Ghani reported in a online video concept posted on social media, the country’s flag unfurled at the rear of him.

Mr. Ghani has occur under developing tension from Afghan politicians to resign so that a transitional governing administration headed by an individual else could negotiate a cease-fireplace with the Taliban and prevent the storming of Kabul, the country’s money. He gave no sign he intends to do so, at minimum not straight away.

Afghan negotiators, the Taliban, the U.S. and other nations are engaged in discussions in Doha, Qatar, on how to obtain a political settlement to the war, with the removing of Mr. Ghani currently being a critical Taliban demand.