US-Taliban Talks Focused on Proposal of Six-Month Ceasefire

Details are emerging of the negotiations between the United States and the Taliban, two days of talks held in the United Arab Emirates. The US focus in the talks, according to reports, was to try to sell the Taliban on accepting a six-month ceasefire.

Taliban officials say that was a high priority, trying to establish this as a first step toward a peace process, one which would end with a negotiated settlement. The Taliban has refused to discuss the deal with the Afghan government, saying they view such talks as meaningless until the US agrees to withdraw.

There is still no timetable for a US pullout from Afghanistan, but the current government may not be in power for long, according to these reports, which suggest the US envisions the creation of a “caretaker” government for Afghanistan, and has openly offered to ensure Taliban representation in this government.

If confirmed, this likely won’t sit well with the existing Afghan government, and is likely to add to resistance to ongoing US calls for the current government to cancel their upcoming presidential election, tentatively to be held in April.