Afghanistan's 'Game of Thrones' jeopardizes peace process
KABUL - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was sworn in for a second term on Monday but his main rival refused to recognize the inauguration and held his own swearing-in ceremony as a rival president.
Planned morning ceremonies were postponed, and guests kept waiting, while U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tried to broker a last-minute deal between the longtime political foes, but there was no immediate word of a breakthrough. The Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and has been waging an insurgency since shortly after its fall from power, has made their release a condition for talks but Ghani said last week he had rejected the demand.
Ghani and Abdullah have been holding talks with U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad as he tries to secure a deal between the two camps, an official for Ghani said earlier on Monday.
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