US and Afghan Taliban to hold key talks over Afghanistan endgame
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ISLAMABAD - The US officials and Afghan Taliban will meet for fresh talks in Qatar tomorrow (Monday), to seek an end to the seventeen year old war in Afghanistan.
Marathon talks in Doha last month have stoked hopes of a breakthrough.
This time, the US' special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is expected to face an expanded Taliban negotiating team headed by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who was the Taliban's former deputy minister of foreign affairs.
Neither side has stated how long they expect the meetings to last or the details of what will be discussed.
However, analysts say this round will likely see the Taliban push for removal of its leaders from a UN travel blacklist, matched with pressure from the US for Taliban to open a dialogue with Afghan government.
