在阿富汗的西方势力敦促塔利班尊重一项新计划，在下周限制暴力，作为持久和平协议的前奏。
在阿富汗的北约发布了北约驻阿富汗高级文职代表尼克·凯爵士的声明，他呼吁阿富汗的政治领导人“团结起来支持和平进程”凯补充道，“需要冷静、对话和妥协——而不是单边行动。不应错过这个和平的机会。”
为期七天的“减少暴力”活动于当地时间周五午夜开始。根据协议条款，国际部队和阿富汗部队将不会对塔利班发动大规模进攻行动。塔利班不会参与路边爆炸、自杀式袭击或火箭袭击，美联社报道。
停战让人们燃起希望，长达18年的冲突即将结束。但是，塔利班和西方支持的阿富汗政府能否通过谈判永久结束这场自2001年以来已造成约157，000人死亡的战争，仍存在疑问。
西方势力周六警告塔利班，其战士必须抓住机会，为这个饱受战争蹂躏的国家实现和平。如果有限休战成功，美国和塔利班将于2月29日签署和平协议，随后塔利班和政府将在喀布尔进行谈判。
北约领导的阿富汗训练和咨询特派团“坚决支持特派团”称，“基于条件的暴力减少是#阿富汗的胜利。#塔利班必须履行他们的承诺。”
阿富汗政府国家安全委员会办公室发言人贾维德·费萨尔周六告诉英国广播公司，持续一周的暴力事件减少是对塔利班信任的考验。“如果塔利班违约，未来走向和平的步骤将受到质疑，”他说。
塔利班历来拒绝与阿富汗政府谈判，称其为西方势力的非法傀儡政府。最终的和平协议可能会让塔利班重新加入阿富汗的主流政治，这是民权和女权组织所担心的前景。
阿富汗总统阿什拉夫·加尼赢得了去年的总统选举，他的对手对选举结果提出质疑。鉴于目前的不和谐，不清楚谁将代表政府与塔利班进行和平谈判。
尽管通往和平的道路充满了障碍，但美国官员对部分停火表示赞赏，并表示谨慎乐观，认为这可能导致美国持续时间最长的战争的结束。
国务卿迈克·庞贝星期五说，有限停火“是通往和平的漫长道路上的重要一步，我呼吁所有阿富汗人抓住这个机会。”国防部长马克·埃斯珀在推特上写道，美国和北约相信“所有阿富汗人之间通过谈判达成的基于条件的政治解决方案”，但塔利班“必须证明他们致力于有意义地减少暴力。”
“如果塔利班拒绝走和平之路，我们仍然准备保卫自己和我们的阿富汗伙伴，”他补充道。
这张档案照片显示的是2018年7月7日，在阿富汗东部楠格哈尔省的一次巡逻中，一名美军士兵和一名阿富汗当地警察在检查站。
U.S.-LED FORCES URGE TALIBAN TO HONOR AFGHANISTAN TRUCE: 'THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR PEACE SHOULDN'T BE MISSED'
Western forces in Afghanistan have urged the Taliban to respect a new plan to limit violence over the next week as a prelude to a lasting peace deal.
NATO in Afghanistan tweeted a statement from NATO Senior Civilian Representative to Afghanistan Sir Nick Kay, who called on the country's political leaders "to come together in support of peace process." Kay added, "Calm, dialogue and compromise are needed—not unilateral actions. This opportunity for peace shouldn't be missed."
The seven-day "reduction in violence" began at midnight local time on Friday. Under the terms of the agreement, no major offensive operations will be launched against the Taliban by international or Afghan forces. The Taliban will not engage in roadside bombings, suicide attacks or rocket strikes, The Associated Press reported.
The truce raised hopes that an end to the 18 year-long conflict was near. But doubts linger over whether the Taliban and Western-backed Afghan government can negotiate a permanent end to the war which has killed some 157,000 people since 2001.
Western forces warned the Taliban on Saturday that its fighters must seize the chance to achieve peace for the war-torn nation. If the limited truce succeeds, the U.S. and Taliban will sign a peace accord on February 29 followed by negotiations between the Taliban and the government in Kabul.
The Resolute Support Mission—the NATO-led training and advising mission in Afghanistan—said that a "conditions-based reduction in violence is a win for #Afghanistan. The #Taliban must fulfill their commitments."
Javid Faisal, the spokesperson for the Afghan government's Office of the National Security Council, told the BBC on Saturday that the week-long reduction in violence is a test of trust with the Taliban. "If Taliban breaches, future steps towards peace will be questioned," he said.
The Taliban have historically refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, which it calls an illegitimate puppet government of Western forces. An eventual peace agreement will likely see the Taliban rejoin mainstream Afghan politics, a prospect feared by civil and women's rights groups.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani won last year's presidential election his rivals dispute the result. Given ongoing dissonance, it is unclear who would represent the government at peace talks with the Taliban.
Though the road to peace is fraught with obstacles, U.S. officials have lauded the partial truce and expressed cautious optimism that it can lead to the end of America's longest-running war.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the limited truce "is an important step on a long road to peace, and I call on all Afghans to seize this opportunity." Secretary of Defense Mark Esper wrote on Twitter that the U.S. and NATO believe in "a negotiated and conditions-based political settlement between all Afghans," but that the Taliban "must demonstrate their commitment to a meaningful reduction in violence."
"Should the Taliban reject the path of peace, we remain prepared to defend ourselves and our Afghan partners," he added.
This file photo shows a U.S. Army soldier and an Afghan Local Police member at a checkpoint during a patrol in the eastern province of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on on July 7, 2018.
