AP | ReutersUpdated 28 Jul 2019

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Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's top political leader, third from left, arrives with other members of the Taliban delegation for talks in Moscow, Russia. ─ AP

The Taliban said on Sunday they will not hold direct talks with Afghan government and rejected a statement from a senior minister about plans to hold the meeting within the next two weeks, a senior Taliban official said.

"Intra-Afghan talks will start only after a foreign force withdrawal is announced," said Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Qatar.

On Saturday, Afghanistan's state minister for peace affairs Abdul Salam Rahimi said the government would be represented by a 15-member delegation during direct talks with the Taliban "in the coming two weeks".

The Taliban have been holding peace talks with the United States (US) for nearly a year but have refused to meet with the government, which it views as a puppet regime.

US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who is currently visiting Kabul, tweeted that another round of "intra-Afghan" talks will occur "after we conclude our own agreements."

He said it would include the Taliban and "an inclusive and effective national negotiating team consisting of senior government officials, key political party representatives, civil society and women."

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Comments (40) Closed

AKB

Jul 28, 2019 11:28am

What drama to watch now the fighting.insurgents will meet Afghan Goernment officials in Europe. Who arranges for their free travels to Qatar and other European countries.

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Hindustani

Jul 28, 2019 11:53am

Once US departs, all hell will break loose in Af-Pak region. These talks are just an eyewash.

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Qasim Dawood

Jul 28, 2019 12:08pm

Good news

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Ali

Jul 28, 2019 01:16pm

The Afghan government never misses an opportunity to try and make them selves look relevant and fail miserably.

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Simple Logic

Jul 28, 2019 02:05pm

Best if Mayor of Kabul and his team keep quiet and let others handle this.

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Ash Man

Jul 28, 2019 03:26pm

Sooner or later the taliban will be talking to the government to get international recognition.

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Gordon D. Walker

Jul 28, 2019 03:28pm

These talks are at an impasse and are going nowhere! Just what the Taliban want... Gordon D. Walker Canada

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Ahmed bin Babar

Jul 28, 2019 04:39pm

Whosoever is corrupt or violent should be kept away from power...

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LapataHaqeeqat

Jul 28, 2019 05:28pm

The entire human race suffers because of a mental decease of few

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waqar

Jul 28, 2019 06:12pm

@AKB do you know tge meaning of insurgents? Taliban have been a part of Afghanistan from alexander the great era and perhaps beyond..There forefathers fought to protect thier land. real insurgents are Ashraf ghani and his government thats just planted they have no moral authority to be there in first place.

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Taz

Jul 28, 2019 06:24pm

@Hindustani, oh man I do agree with you ! These talibans are up to no good and I don’t see any good coming out of them ! Pakistan needs to stay away from all this taliban Afghan drama !

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PakistanZindabad

Jul 28, 2019 06:41pm

Honestly talks are good but what is the benefit of talking to a party who doesn’t have any power on ground, they are there for some purpose and can only maintain their government within portion of Kabul

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LAHORI KID

Jul 28, 2019 08:10pm

If the Afghan government was capable of anything on their own, non of this would be necessary, but here we are, they have no leverage, no control, no say so in any matters pertaining to Afghanistan, it’s sad, but that’s the reality, the Afghan government is stuck between the Americans on one side, and the Taliban in the other.

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Mr.Afghani

Jul 28, 2019 09:08pm

Nobody cares and nobody has any expectation any way.

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Mr.Afghani

Jul 28, 2019 09:10pm

@PakistanZindabad, That government is controlling 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Name one of Afghan province fully under control of the Taliban. Just name one!

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Ali kazmi

Jul 28, 2019 09:26pm

@Ash Man , Sooner rather than later, the Taliban would be the government.

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Ali kazmi

Jul 28, 2019 09:30pm

@Mr.Afghani, Name one province that is completely under the control of the Ghani government.

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Jehengir khan

Jul 28, 2019 10:02pm

If taliban's can't talk with afghan government, how they will participate in government.....pakistan must stay out of this mess....

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Aman

Jul 28, 2019 10:10pm

@Mr.Afghani, controlling few buildings in each Provence with the help of worlds best forces means nothing!

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Fastrack

Jul 28, 2019 10:18pm

@Mr.Afghani, A real Afghani would have known that Taliban now influence nearly 70% of Afganistan and fully control Kandahar, Paktia and Helmand.

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Gordon D. Walker

Jul 28, 2019 10:59pm

Afghanistan is the child no one wants. Americans should leave and let the people sort this out... Gordon D. Walker Canada

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Syed A. Mateen

Jul 28, 2019 11:47pm

There are several groups based in Afghanistan. One group is anti-Pakistan, second one is anti-US and the third one is anti-Afghanistan. The anti-Pakistan group is a pro-Indian group, anti-US group and anti-Afghan group are also anti-Pakistan group. This means that non of the group is interested in restoring peace in Afghanistan and want safe withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. After 19 years of fighting war in Afghanistan, US finally concluded that it is not in the interest of US Govt. to continue to fight war as considerable US, Nato and soldiers of other countries have been killed and US could not achieve its target. It was evident from day one after Soviet Union withdraws its troops that one day sooner or later US will also withdraw its troops. In the present circumstances when Taliban will not be talking directly with Afghan Govt. there is no other option left for US to directly talk with Taliban and calk out the troops withdrawal programme keeping in loop with Pakistan

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aisha

Jul 28, 2019 11:55pm

Why not put them in 2 different rooms and Khalilzad can take messages from one to another.

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danish

Jul 29, 2019 12:12am

Trump must send more troops to Afghanistan to control the Taliban at least 5 million also seek help from IK to control them

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Ahmed khan lehri

Jul 29, 2019 12:41am

@Mr.Afghani, the space is not enough to name all 34 provinces/ states. Afghan govt has no control even on Kabul. Afghan police just vacated more than 250 posts due to heavy loses.

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Jul 29, 2019 12:55am

@Ali, so you support the taliban that played cover with peoples heads. You still haven’t apologised to the world for supporting such people all these years for your own strategic depth - guess Afghan lives were just collateral damage for You know who.

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Jul 29, 2019 12:58am

@Fastrack, you know this while sitting overseas while you supported people that played soccer with human head. Not sure what you’re proud of.

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Trollslayer

Jul 29, 2019 02:53am

@Fastrack, I live in California and my immediate family is in Kandahar as we speak and the Afghan government is in full control of Kandahar and the greater Kandahar region. Please stop your uninformed propaganda.

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Mr.Afghani

Jul 29, 2019 02:56am

@Fastrack, 70% of mountains? Maybe! I am in Afghanistan and I have no idea which province is under Taliban control. The only province which was fallen for 24 hours was Kunduz which was taken back within 24 hours which was in 2015. @Aman, not a few buildings, It's the whole province which is under Afghan army. Few Taliban on the mountain means nothing... Let them enjoy the mountains for as long as they want. Not a single province is under Taliban control... Just name one province out of 34 provinces which are under Taliban control. it's a BIG NONE!!! Fact is Fact... Just saying...

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Mr.Afghani

Jul 29, 2019 03:00am

@Fastrack, Kandahar??? Really??? Do you even know about Qandahar? Dude!!!! Qandahar is 100% under the Afghan government. Not even 0.0001% is controlled by the Taliban. They can't even move in 1KM of Qandahar... Qandahar is more secure than Kabul. You need to update your info at least little bit before commenting here.

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Tamza

Jul 29, 2019 03:48am

@Hindustani, not to worry, the afghans are very nationalist tribal group, and when thd foreigners leave they have their domains and boundaries established by their traditional ways. India Pakistan US etc should not interfere..

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Tamza

Jul 29, 2019 03:49am

@LapataHaqeeqat, indeed - good you caught up with tRumps behavior.

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AHAQ

Jul 29, 2019 04:32am

Ghani's Afghan government should be ready to handover the reins of country to a provisional Independent authority. An open all inclusive elections should be held and the winners should take over the countries reins. The new government, please develop a good judiciary to catch the corrupts and curb the present rampant corruption to be successful in future.

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Jugni

Jul 29, 2019 04:45am

None of the three parties - the US govt, The Afghanistan govt, and the Taleban is reliable. Each one is trying to out fox other.

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Jugni

Jul 29, 2019 06:31am

@waqar, And where were your forefathers? May you are also occupants???

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Indie Guy

Jul 29, 2019 06:58am

It is highly unlikely Americans will leave and hand Taliban the keys to Kabul. They will only leave if there is a consensus government that includes all major factions. Americans will also maintain an Embassy and a security force in Kabul to keep an eye on the Taliban and other factions.

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Shah

Jul 29, 2019 07:09am

@Hindustani, as if all is well now.. if Taliban comes to power India has to leave Afghanistan and peace will be restored.

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SAK

Jul 29, 2019 07:57am

@Hindustani, it is your misconception and propaganda by left aside parties of Afghan peace talks.

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SAK

Jul 29, 2019 07:59am

Talibans are making a very cogent and viable move in this peace process/talks.

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Anonymouseee

Jul 29, 2019 10:41am

Indian support of terrorism inside Afghanistan will go full blown once US Tripp’s withdraw.

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