Taliban Says Peace Deal With US in Afghanistan Is Getting Close

Taliban spokesman Mohammed Suhail Shaheen says that the US and Taliban are “getting close” on the peace deal in Afghanistan, and that an agreement could be concluded soon if the US makes a “reasonable and convincing proposal.”

Both sides have indicated strong progress in the Doha talks. This upbeat comment from the Taliban comes a day after a joint US-Afghan statement agreeing to work to speed up the peace effort.

The broad basis for the deal is the US withdrawing from Afghanistan and the Taliban agreeing to keep ISIS and al-Qaeda out of the country. A power-sharing agreement between the Afghan government and Taliban, which is likely to be a top priority.

There has been hope for some time that the deal could be reached before Afghanistan’s September election. It seems possible that such a deal could still be reached in that time-frame.