White House denies plan for talks with Taliban
The White House denies there are meetings planned between US officials and representatives of the Afghan militant group, Taliban, in Qatar.
"The United States currently has no meetings with the Taliban scheduled in Doha," National Security Council Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said on Thursday.
"We remain supportive of an Afghan-led reconciliation process whereby the Taliban and the Afghans engage in talks toward a settlement to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan," she added.
Senior Pakistani army officials announced earlier in the day that Taliban had signaled they were open to holding talks with US officials.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the militant group, also confirmed that a Taliban delegation was in Qatar, without giving further details.
"The first session will take place today in Qatar and then there would be another session on Friday. Let us see what happens as talks before did not yield any results," a senior Taliban member told Reuters by telephone from Qatar.
Previous efforts to get talks going in Qatar failed after the Afghan government objected to the opening of a Taliban office in the Persian Gulf state.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of the so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but after more than 13 years, insecurity remains the order of the day across the country.
HRJ/HRJ
Trump vs Harris: A choice between two deranged war hawks who cheer genocide in Gaza
Democrats 'risk losing' election for backing Israeli war on Gaza, Lebanon: US journalist
Microsoft fires employees for organizing vigil for Gaza victims
Latest ballots polls show Harris, Trump tied as voting continues
UNRWA warns of humanitarian collapse in Gaza
'Hello my enemies': Lebanese journalist on Israeli threats and his resolve to continue
Outrage in France as MP proposes bill to ban criticism of Israel
VIDEO | The strategy of Hezbollah in war
Israeli military withdraws several brigades from southern Lebanon: Report
48-year-old Palestinian man serving 48 life terms completes 22 years in Israeli jails
From MKO to Tondar, how Germany became safe haven for anti-Iran terror groups
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
