Top US diplomat meets Taliban reps in Doha

KABUL representatives, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.  

State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, led the US delegation at talks with the Taliban in Doha, the capital of Qatar, the newspaper said.

It added the Taliban’s political bureau refused to comment. For her part, Wells also did not answer an emailed request for comment from WSJ.

An unnamed State Department official was quoted as saying: “The United States is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government.”

Formal negotiations, if they ever happen, could be months away, and that those efforts, like previous attempts, could collapse, says officials in Kabul and Washington.

Trump administration officials believe even small steps, such as negotiating a second truce during Eidul Adha, could be a launching pad for more substantive talks.

The Wells-led delegation and members of the Taliban’s political office focused on building momentum on a recent temporary ceasefire agreement that fell apart.

Wells returned to the United States on Tuesday after discussing the Afghan peace process with Qatari officials.

PAN Monitor/mud