The Taliban has opened an official headquarters in the Qatari capital of Doha today, with an eye on negotiating a settlement of the 12-year-long NATO occupation of Afghanistan. Talks are expected to include both Afghan government officials and the US.
The initiative to finally end the war is a long time coming, with the US spending years trying to open up side negotiations with mid-ranking Taliban, while openly insisting the talks were only designed to “divide” the rebellion.
It is the first major push for talks since March of 2012, when the Taliban withdrew in the early stages of talks, citing “erratic and vague” US statements, and public outrage over the recent Kandahar massacre made talking with the US unpopular.
The US has reportedly made new concessions with this round of talks, including scrapping the demand that the Taliban publicly disavow al-Qaeda. Since al-Qaeda has limited influence in the nation, at best, it is a minor move, but might be a trust-builder.
Taliban officials have long rejected talks with the Karzai government as well, insisting they don’t have any real clout to make deals in the first place. This time, however, it seems that there is a willingness to consider anything.
NATO is also reporting that it will “no longer plan, execute or lead combat operations” in Afghanistan, though whether this actually means anything concrete or is just part of the spin of a “transition” to Afghan control remains to be seen.
What a load of bull….
Take the "Peace Ta;ks " in Palestine and the so-called "dialog" about Iran.
The US has no intention of any "Peace" except on their own terms of humiliation of the other party.
Anything agreed will be subject to complete servitude to the mighty USA and tht is why PEACE can never be achieved by talks with America.
I don't think the Taliban are that stupid to negotiate with these parasites in DC who one day say you are a terrorist and the next day you are a freedom fighter.
DETROIT IS so very f thankful—will the billion$$$ start flowing to Detroit now?
Look: the Taliban or Al-qeada and all other related terrorists groups are te entities of Wahhabis, Saudis and Qatari tyrant regimes.., these groups are created by USA militarism regime in 1990s by Bill Clinton and Bush regime.., do you remember when Taliban visited White House and paid 5billion dollars to continue what they good ate.., opium.., they are supplying the 95% of the world market fir opium.., USA is the biggest user of heroin that made of opium.., they are used against democracy, democracy in progress and terrorism by the USA and EU governments since 1990s.., in 1990 after the russian withdrowl from afghanistan they demanded to have a country of their own, Afghanistan was given to them by bill Clinton and later bush regime.., USA and EU no longer have any democratic movements that would support them.., so they are using these Saudis and qataris mercenaries to defeat all and every democratic movement in the region., as they support Turkish dictatorial government and the Libyan and the Saudis-Qatari and etc. these groups demanding for Afghanistan to be returned to them as it was given to them.., meanwhile USA and EU government will give Hamid Karzai to taliban or their affiliated groups to prove that they cannot continue with Afghan war and that they are defeated.., so goes for the Syria.., with a different that people of Syria, the government of Syria is developed, modernised both in terms of cultry, social political and that they are supporting their legitimate government.., Hamid karzai regime is not the legitimat government elected by the afghani people, he was forcecd on them for the US and EU interests wanting to create a military ring around Iran for upcoming wars with the Iranians.