Swordsmyth
11-19-2018, 12:09 AM
The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan has said he hopes to strike a final peace deal with the Taliban by April of 2019, according to Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-us-afghanistan-taliban/us-envoy-hopes-for-peace-deal-with-taliban-in-2019-media-idUSKCN1NN0CL) citing local media reports.
U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad led three days of talks between the United States, the Taliban and the Afghan government in Qatar where the Taliban has a political office, the culmination of months of attempted unprecedented face-to-face sit down dialogue between American officials and the Islamist insurgent group's representatives.
Khalilzad told reporters over the weekend that he hopes “a peace deal is reached before April 20 next year”, when Afghanistan is planning to hold a presidential election. While six months is ambitious and a tad optimistic, it appears more about creating the conditions for a final politically face-saving American exit from the now approaching two decade long quagmire.
More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-18/us-envoy-seeks-peace-deal-taliban-2019-amidst-direct-talks
U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad led three days of talks between the United States, the Taliban and the Afghan government in Qatar where the Taliban has a political office, the culmination of months of attempted unprecedented face-to-face sit down dialogue between American officials and the Islamist insurgent group's representatives.
Khalilzad told reporters over the weekend that he hopes “a peace deal is reached before April 20 next year”, when Afghanistan is planning to hold a presidential election. While six months is ambitious and a tad optimistic, it appears more about creating the conditions for a final politically face-saving American exit from the now approaching two decade long quagmire.
More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-18/us-envoy-seeks-peace-deal-taliban-2019-amidst-direct-talks