Troop drawdown, assurances dominate US-Taliban talks in Qatar

QATAR'S MOFA

• Both sides will meet again on Saturday
• Dialogue is likely to yield tangible results this time, experts say

PESHAWAR: The negotiating teams of the United States and Taliban discussed during the two-day Doha parleys a way forward for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country and to prevent Afghanistan from being used against other nations, a Taliban spokesman said on Thursday.
Both groups are expected to meet for another crucial session on Saturday.
Amid the ongoing talks in Doha, Qatar, the spokesman added that extensive discussions were held from Tuesday till Wednesday afternoon, with Maulvi Abbas Stanekzai leading the Taliban delegation.
“The meetings ended last night as both negotiation teams agreed to take a break today [Thursday] and tomorrow [Friday] for consultations and the preparation of a third meeting which shall be held on Saturday,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman, said.
Meanwhile, the deputy of Taliban’s political wing in Doha, Mullah Baradar Akhund met with Qatar’s deputy Prime Minister Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Foreign Minister Abdul Rahman Al-Thani, National Security Adviser Muhammad Al-Masnad, US State Department’s Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, and the commander of the “occupying forces” in Afghanistan, Scott Miller, he added.
The meetings focused on discussions about the ongoing negotiations process and the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, he said, adding that Mullah Baradar had clarified the Islamic Emirate’s policy regarding the pullout of troops and the changing dynamics of Afghanistan. He also emphasized that the Taliban is committed to the current peace process along with the establishment of an Islamic system in Afghanistan.
While the US did not release any official statement related to the two-day peace talks, Khalilzad tweeted on February 25 that it was the first time he had met Mullah Baradar and his team at a working lunch. He also indicated that the two sides were now prepared for the peace talks. 
On Wednesday, he said that the technical groups, from both the Taliban and the US, discussed the withdrawal from Afghanistan, following which talks would be held to ensure that Afghan soil will not be used to harm anyone’s interests.
The US envoy also tweeted about the significance of his meeting with a “more authoritative Taliban delegation” on his arrival in Doha and appreciated Qatar for hosting the meeting and Pakistan for facilitating the travel of the Taliban leaders.
Mullah Baradar, Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi, Mullah Abdul Lateef Mansoor and Maulvi Matiul Haq traveled to Doha on a chartered plane last Sunday after Pakistan made arrangements for their journey.
However, the Taliban’s side was short of one man since Anas Haqqani, one of the 14 members of the negotiating team, continues to be in Afghan captivity. 
Similarly, the US team for Monday’s meeting comprised nearly 25 members, including officials of the State Department, Pentagon, Department of Defense, and a few Congressmen.
Irfanullah Khan, an expert on Pak-Afghan affairs, told Arab News that the US-Taliban talks were likely to yield some tangible results this time which were aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan and the region.
He hoped that the increase in tensions between India and Pakistan would not impact the nascent peace process between the US and Taliban, but that Washington should use diplomatic channels to quell the brewing discord in South Asia.
“Because of the seriousness and enthusiasm on both (the US and the Taliban) sides, I’m very much optimistic that they will lead to a tangible peace agreement this time,” Khan observed.