Washington Post: U.S.-Taliban talks stretch into second day as government delegation arrives
KABUL — Talks in Abu Dhabi between the Taliban, the United States and several other countries stretched into a second day Tuesday as an Afghan government delegation arrived, raising the prospect that rebel and government representatives might meet face-to-face for the first time.
Initially, the talks between the Taliban emissaries and a team led by U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, as well as officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were expected to last one day, but Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed that the meetings would continue through Tuesday.
The Taliban said Monday that its delegates had no plans to meet with members of the Kabul government, which it insists is just a puppet of the Americans and too divided internally to negotiate effectively.
The government team is led by President Ashraf Ghani’s chief of staff, Abdul Salam Rahimi. According to spokesman Harun Chakhansoori, it will “begin proximity dialogue with the Taliban delegation” to prepare for a “face-to-face meeting between the two sides.”
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WNU Editor: I am very skeptical of these talks. The Taliban have always shown zero interest to work with the Afghan government, and I seen nothing of late that will make me believe that they have changed this policy.
More News On U.S.-Taliban Talks Stretching Into The Second Day
Taliban Says It Is Meeting With U.S. Officials, Amid Escalating Peace Efforts -- NPR
Afghan Taliban Members Meet US Officials As Peace Efforts Intensify -- NDTV/Reuters
Prospect of negotiated peace in Afghanistan ‘never been more real’ – UN mission chief -- UN News
Afghan election set for April 20 amid Taliban talks with US -- Al Jazeera
