KABUL – The Taliban said it met with US officials in Qatar on Monday, inthe latest round of talks between the insurgents and Washington aimed atbringing an end to the 17-year war.
The US has not officially commented on the reported meeting, which followsthe last confirmed talks between the two parties in the UAE in December.
“Following American acceptance of the agenda of ending the occupation ofAfghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from being used against othercountries in the future, talks with American representatives took placetoday in Doha, the capital of Qatar,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahidsaid in a statement.
The announcement comes a day after US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad leftPakistan where he had met with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who arrived inDoha for an official visit Monday.
Khalilzad’s has held a flurry of meetings around the region, including inKabul last week, to garner support for the burgeoning dialogue.
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Taliban representatives have met several times with US officials in recentmonths, but last week threatened to suspend the fledgling process,lambasting Washington for changing the agenda of the talks and”unilaterally” adding new subjects.
The insurgents have long refused to hold direct talks with the Kabulgovernment — despite US pleas — which the Taliban dismisses as a puppetof Washington.
US officials said in December that President Donald Trump intends towithdraw as many as half of the 14,000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan.-APP/AFP
