Kabul
The US and the Taliban appeared closer on Wednesday to a breakthrough in talks over an American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said there had been “notable progress” in negotiations. Washington and the militants have been locked in gruelling discussions that have stretched over more than a year for a deal that would see the US pull thousands of troops out of Afghanistan. In return, the Taliban would provide various security guarantees and launch eventual talks with the Kabul government.
In a series of tweets late on Tuesday, Ghani said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had called him to inform him of developments in the talks, which are taking place in Doha. “Today, I was pleased to receive a call from @SecPompeo, informing me of the notable progress made in the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban,” Ghani said on his official Twitter account.—AFP
