Political efforts to end the long-running Afghan conflict have entered a critical phase. It was the first time an American delegation held talks with Taliban representatives for six consecutive days in Doha, the Qatari capital where the group has also long had a political bureau. The withdrawal of foreign troops and ceasefire were among a range of issues both sides discussed. After the meeting, Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special representative for Afghan reconciliation, arrived in Kabul to consult with and brief Afghan leaders on the progress.
The recent developments in peace negotiations are promising, as well as indicative of being quite different from previous rounds. American diplomats have never held talks with Taliban representatives for that long. Although Zalmay Khalilzad, contradicted media reports that a draft agreement has been reached and insisted that nothing had been agreed upon so far, the length of talks shows that both sides are committed to at least the resumption of the talks possibly within the coming two days. The political settlement of a long running, multidimensional and complex war involving multiple sides like that in Afghanistan does not seem realistic within the span of a few weeks or months; however, the difference of opinions or protraction of the process should not dissuade the parties from pursuing the negotiations. Both sides should fight shy of unrealistic expectations by realizing the complexity of issues. Similarly, Afghan people should not have hopes as high as they could later be dispirited if negotiations end up in failure.
A Taliban’s statement released after the Doha talks suggests the group’s stance remains unchanged in relation to talks with Afghan government unless an agreement was reached about the pullout of American troops. The departure of foreign troops from Afghanistan is necessary for peace to come, but any such commitment with the Taliban before they talk to Afghan government will further complicate the peace process. If Taliban get assurances and reach an agreement with the United States to withdraw troops from Afghanistan before talking to, and agreeing on a ceasefire, with Afghan government, their willingness for peace can drop, especially now as they think they have an upper hand in the war and see an imminent military victory. It will be better if the withdrawal of foreign troops, ceasefire and intra-Afghan talks are undertaken simultaneously in a manner that can build trust among all sides.