{"id":46691,"date":"2019-01-28T20:11:41","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T20:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/28\/us-taliban-talks-may-be-reaching-a-breaking-point\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:47:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:47:30","slug":"us-taliban-talks-may-be-reaching-a-breaking-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/01\/28\/us-taliban-talks-may-be-reaching-a-breaking-point\/","title":{"rendered":"US-Taliban talks may be reaching a breaking point"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. and the Taliban <\/a>have made \u201csignificant progress” during peace negotiations in Doha, Qatar<\/a>, where the militant group allegedly promised under a draft deal that international terror groups like al-Qaida will not be permitted back into Afghanistan if U.S. troops withdraw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taliban spokesmen confirmed that the six-day round of negotiations was successful and said talks would resume after the diplomats briefed their respective leaders. However, the insurgent group publicly denied that a cease-fire has already been agreed to, as well as reports that they intend to meet with the internationally recognized Afghan government.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter six days in Doha, I\u2019m headed to Afghanistan for consultations. Meetings here were more productive than they have been in the past. We made significant progress on vital issues,\u201d the American special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, tweeted over the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the U.S. diplomatic team \u201cwill build on the momentum and resume talks shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a number of issues left to work out,” Khalilzad said. \u201cNothing is agreed until everything is agreed, and \u2018everything\u2019 must include an intra-Afghan dialogue and comprehensive ceasefire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Taliban have reportedly agreed to prevent al-Qaida from building a base of operations in Afghanistan under the draft deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The militants provided sanctuary for al-Qaida operatives<\/a> prior to Sept. 11, 2001, prompting U.S. forces to oust the group from power with the help of Afghan allies in the months following the terror attack that killed almost 3,000 Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, the U.S. has backed an Afghan government opposed to the Taliban \u2014 one more progressive in the category of human rights \u2014 while waging a counterinsurgency campaign against the militants to varying degrees of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to end to the conflict in a peace settlement, the Taliban has long maintained that it will only negotiate with the U.S., and not the Afghan government that it views as illegitimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\t