Wed 24 November 2021:
The US will continue discussions with the Taliban in Qatar next week, focusing on the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, among other topics.
The US delegation will be led by Tom West, the US special envoy for Afghanistan, for the two-week talks, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
The two sides will talk about “our vital national interests,” which include counter-terrorism operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda, humanitarian aid, Afghanistan’s shattered economy, and safe passage out of Afghanistan for US people and Afghans who worked for the US throughout the 20-year war.
As US forces withdrew from Pakistan two weeks ago, West met with officials of the extreme Islamist faction that seized power in August.
The two sides met for the first time on October 9-10 in Doha, Qatar, where US diplomats overseeing ties with Afghanistan had relocated following the Taliban takeover.
West on Friday reiterated US conditions for the Taliban to receive US financial and diplomatic support: fight terrorism install an inclusive government, respect the rights of minorities, women and girls, and provide equal access to educations and employment.
He stated that the United States would continue to have dialogue with the Taliban and for now provide only humanitarian aid.
In an open letter to the US Congress last week, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Taliban administration, appealed for the release of Afghan assets blocked by the US.
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