U.S. talks with Taliban about ending war in Afghanistan

The Taliban held another round of talks with U.S. officials on Monday, this time in the United Arab Emirates and also involving Saudi, Pakistani, and Emirati representatives, part of the latest attempt to bring a negotiated end to Afghanistan’s 17-year war.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid offered few details of the daylong meeting except to say “discussions were held with the American side over the end to the invasion of Afghanistan.” He dismissed Afghan media reports that Afghan government representatives, who are in the United Arab Emirates, had met with the Taliban.

“There is no plan to meet the Kabul administration,” Mujahid said. “There is no possibility of the presence of the Kabul administration in the meeting, which the Islamic Emirate will attend.” The Taliban refer to their movement as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and dismiss the Kabul government as a U.S. puppet.

Mujahid said the meetings were continuing.

Khalil Minawi, director of Afghanistan’s state-run Bakhtar news agency, earlier tweeted that officials from the United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE held meetings Sunday ahead of “the Pakistani-sponsored U.S.-Taliban meeting.”

While Afghan officials did not attend Monday’s meeting with the Taliban, their presence in the UAE is a significant step in efforts to get the two sides talking. The Taliban have consistently refused to hold direct talks with the Afghan government, insisting they will only negotiate with the U.S.

Also significant is the presence of the Saudis and Emiratis, both of whom have significant influence over the Taliban, and who might be able to help secure concessions from the group eventually leading to faceto-face talks with Kabul.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Pakistan were the only three countries to recognize the Taliban government during its five-year rule, which ended with the 2001 U.S.-led invasion after the Sept 11 attacks. The U.S. has spent $1 trillion in Afghanistan since ousting the Taliban and the war there has become America’s longest.