KABUL (SW) – The fifth round of talks between the U.S. and the Taliban continued on Wednesday with both sides keeping cards to the chest.
Based on the reports emerging from the Qatari capital, Doha, both sides continued to deliberate on matters related to withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, and guarantees for no threats of terrorism emerging from here. A well-placed source told Salam Watandar an agreement has been reached over Afghanistan not posing threat of terrorism to the rest of the world in future. However, differences remain over the schedule for the withdrawal of foreign troops.
The source said the U.S. delegation has told the Taliban Washington would decide its course of action on the negotiation table, and the diverse reports published in the media are not relevant in this regard. The source said this has encouraged the Taliban to continue the talks in Doha.
The source further said the Taliban have asked the American military bases in Afghanistan should not be dismantled, but the U.S. delegation has not announced its strategy in this connection.
The source further claimed the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, would visit Doha to sign the ultimate deal with the head of the Taliban's Qatar Office, Mullah Baradar.
Syed Akbar Aagha, a former Taliban-era official, said progress has been made in talks in Doha. He said the Taliban delegation has promised Afghanistan would not pose threats of terrorism to the world in the future.
Based on the reports, Secretary Pompoe would soon visit Qatar in connection with the talks. Addressing a public gathering in Iowa, he said these negotiations are complicated in the wake of regional players such as India, Pakistan, China and Russia who have interests in Afghanistan.
“I have a team on the ground right now trying to negotiate with the Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan, trying to find a way to achieve an Afghanistan that's not at war, that's not engaged in violence, that doesn't present a threat to the United States of America, that will respect the fundamental basic rights for every Afghan citizen—women, children—across the full spectrum,” he said.
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