US delegation to meet Taliban in Doha; US State Dept says it's 'not about recognition'

A United States delegation is set to travel to Doha, Qatar over the weekend to meet with senior Taliban representatives, more than a month after the extremist group reconquered Afghanistan. The US State Department announced on Saturday, October 9, about the first in-person meeting between the US and the Taliban after the crisis engulfed the South Asian country in the months after both sides reached a peace deal under the administation of former US President Donald Trump. 

As per a Xinhua report, the senior delegation from the United States will include the officials from the Central Intelligence Agency, the State Department, and the US Agency for International development. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that the upcoming US-Taliban meeting is a “continuation” of America’s engagement with the extremist group, who are also the new rulers of Afghanistan.

"This meeting is a continuation of the pragmatic engagements with the Taliban on issues of US vital national interest," Price said, while adding that it is “not about granting recognition or conferring legitimacy."

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the main priorities of the meeting in Doha are to ensure the continuation of a secure passage of the people seeking to leave the country including Afghans and other foreigners. Price stated that the US side will also be pressing the Taliban to uphold the rights of women, form an inclusive government and allow the humanitarian agencies for free access to the vulnerable areas of need.

The US-Taliban meeting is set to take place in the backdrop of only a handful of nations expressing their wish to establish ties with Afghanistan and the extremist outfit, including China and Pakistan. However, other nations, including the US have appeared to take a ‘wait and watch’ approach to deal with the crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, which the Taliban has renamed to the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan. 

Families living in Kabul ordered to go home

Meanwhile, hundreds of families who were living in Kabul as the offensive broke out due to the Taliban takeover in August, have been ordered to return to their homes. As per Tolo News, the Taliban-led government’s Deputy Minister of refugees and repatriation Arsalan Kharotai has said, “This process began today and will continue, thus all (displaced) families in Kabul will go back to their provinces.” The Taliban has even said that at least 2,000 families, who were living in Kabul, have been displaced. Reportedly, the evacuation of the displaced families is presently being done in cooperation with donor organisations.

Image: AP