Khalilzad sends positive messages to Taliban ahead of peace talks

As efforts to end the decade-long war in Afghanistan gathered new momentum after US diplomats met Taliban representatives in July, a source close to the group says the newly appointed State Department’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad before meeting Taliban had sent messages to the group in which he promised some incentives to encourage them to peace talks.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed to The Heart of Asia that Taliban had received “positive messages” from Khalilzad on their prisoners release and some other issues.
“It’s expected that formal negotiation will start in coming days as Taliban are already prepared for the talks,” the source stated.
Reports emerged this week regarding Khalilzad’s meeting with Taliban representatives in Dubai, UAE, but the Taliban source denied the development, saying the US special envoy just sent them messages.
Citing a Taliban commander, NBC News reported on Sunday that Khalilzad will arrive in Dubai on Tuesday for discussions with Taliban.
The State Department did not confirm or deny if Khalilzad was traveling to the region for discussions, but a spokesperson said that he had not formally taken over his duties yet.
It’s said that the notorious Haqqani Network opposes peace talks with the US or has elusive conditions for it, but Khalilzad wants to appease them with releasing Anas Haqqani, the son of the founder of the group.
The Heart of Asia has learned that Khalilzad and Alice Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, are due to be in Kabul on Wednesday to meet some political figures and former Taliban officials. After these meetings, Khalilzad will set for direct peace talks with Taliban representatives in Doha, the capital city of Qatar.
This comes as a member of Quetta Shora, the Pakistani based Taliban leadership council, told BBC that a Taliban delegation left for Dubai from Karachi Airport. The source said that the Taliban officials would meet UN and Red Crescent officials in Dubai and Qatar. According to the source, the meetings will be held on22 September in Dubai and on 27-28 September in Qatar.
The first round of direct peace talks between US and Taliban representatives was held in July and it was decided that the second round would be held in September.