US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has met Taliban political representatives in Qatar to discuss ways for the resumption of the stalled peace process, sources said on Saturday.
President Donald Trump abruptly called off the peace process with the Taliban in September, citing an attack in Kabul which killed an American soldier and 11 others including a Romanian soldier.
“We are working on an agreement now with the Taliban. Let’s see what happens,” Trump told Fox TV on Friday. “The last time I was supposed to have an agreement, they thought that when they came over it would be good to kill people so they could, you know, negotiate from a position of strength,” he said.
Trump’s remarks come days after Taliban freed an American and an Australian professor in exchange for the release of three Taliban leaders, including Anas Haqqani, brother of Taliban deputy chief Sirajud Din Haqqani. Taliban also released 10 Afghan soldiers on Friday.
Trump welcomed the prisoner swap deal and tweeted on Tuesday, “Let’s hope this leads to more good things on the peace front like a cease-fire that will help end this long war.”
The prisoner swap was considered as a major confidence building for the resumption of the peace process.–DT