KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said Saturday that “significant progress” was made during lengthy talks with the Taliban in Qatar and that he was traveling to Afghanistan for more discussions aimed at ending the country’s destructive 17-year war.
Khalilzad said on his official Twitter account that he wants to build on six days of meetings in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
“Meetings here were more productive than they have been in the past,” he said without providing details. “We made significant progress on vital issues.”
The Taliban said this week its representatives met Monday with U.S. representatives in Qatar to discuss “ending the invasion of Afghanistan.”
Last week, the Taliban threatened to walk away from talks, accusing Washington of seeking to “expand the agenda” — presumably a reference to U.S. demands that the insurgents hold direct talks with Kabul.
Khalilzad has said that any peace talks must include the Afghan government and a comprehensive cease-fire.
Khalilzad has met with the Taliban on a number of occasions in recent months in the latest bid to end America’s longest war. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to topple the Taliban, who were harboring Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. The Taliban have staged a comeback in recent years and today hold sway over nearly half the country.
