While the Pakistani media were reporting on Friday that a deal was in
place to host the next round of Afghan peace talks in Istanbul, the Taliban was quick to correct the record over the weekend, saying that they have no intention of taking part in these talks.
Talks between the US and Taliban have been on a rough footing, with US
requests for long-term bases in post-war Afghanistan angering
negotiators, as the previous condition was a US pullout.
Which might’ve been reason enough that the Taliban were reticent to get
back on board with direct talks with Zalmay Khalilzad, though Taliban
officials say it is the plan to include the Afghan government that is
derailing it.
The Taliban has long insisted that there is no point to include the
Afghan government in the talks, because they are not able to meet any
demands. The US has at times insisted Afghan participation is essential,
though recent talk has been that the US was planning to offer the
Taliban representation in a new Afghan government.
Taliban Rejects Call to Meet US Negotiator in Islamabad
Taliban won't participate in any talks that include Afghan government
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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