Mike Pompeo to meet Taliban negotiators in Doha amid talks on US troop withdrawal

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to meet negotiators from the Taliban and Afghan government on Saturday, amid signs of progress in their talks, as the United States speeds up the process of withdrawal of their troops from the South Asian country.

The state department said that Pompeo will separately meet with the negotiation teams of Afghan government and Taliban in the Gulf state of Qatar. He will also see the ruler of Qatar, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the foreign minister, on his visit to the capital city of Doha - the Taliban's base for diplomacy.

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The outgoing top US diplomat is on a seven-nation tour of Europe and the Middle East as President Donald Trump shores up late-term priorities. Earlier this week, the Pentagon said it would pull 2,000 troops out of Afghanistan, speeding up the timeline established during a February agreement between Washington and the Taliban aimed at complete US withdrawal by mid-2021.

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Doha peace talks

The Taliban are speaking to the Afghanistan government for the first time. The Doha peace talks started on September 12 faltered almost immediately over disagreements about the agenda, the basic framework of discussions and religious interpretations. However, the two sides appear to have resolved few of the issues.

The peace talks began after the Taliban and Washington signed a deal in February, agreeing to withdraw all foreign forces from Afghanistan, in exchange for security guarantees and a Taliban promise to begin talks. Despite the talks, violence has increased across the country, with the Taliban stepping up daily attacks against Afghan security forces.

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