After more than a decade of bitter fighting, today the US is anxious for talks.
US drops preconditions for Taliban talks
The Tuesday announcement by a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, for the talks with the Taliban came after the US agreed to drop the condition that the militant group renounce any ties with the al-Qaeda.
Washington says the rejection of al-Qaeda by the militant group is now a “negotiating aim” rather than a precondition of the talks.
In 2011, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set three preconditions for any probable talks with the Taliban.
"Over the past two years, we have laid out our unambiguous red lines for reconciliation with the insurgents: they must renounce violence; they must abandon their alliance with al-Qaida; and they must abide by the constitution of Afghanistan," she said.
However, the US official said on Tuesday that they “don't expect them to break ties with al-Qaida.”
Earlier in the day, the Taliban opened an office in the Qatari capital Doha. A spokesperson for the group said the move aims to "reach understanding and initiate talks with countries of the world for the purpose of improving relations with them" and to find a political solution to end the "occupation of Afghanistan.”
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who had initially expressed opposition to holding the talks outside Afghanistan, visited the tiny Arab state twice this year, apparently preparing the ground for the negotiations. Karzai said on Tuesday that he hoped “our brothers the Taliban also understand that the process will move to our country soon."
