Latest Round Of Peace Talks With Taliban Kick Off In Doha

U.S. officials and the Taliban have kicked off a fifth round of peace negotiations in Doha, reports the Voice of America News.

The discussions, which began on Monday, are expected to cover the same two core issues: the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and ensuring that Afghan soil is not used by any terrorist group or individual for attacks against the U.S. and its allies.

During the previous round of talks in January, officials set up working groups to negotiate and find solutions on the primary issues. The groups will come up with “recommendations and a draft agreement,” said a Taliban spokesperson.

The Taliban team consists of 14 members, including Anas Haqqani, the younger brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani Network. The network is responsible for a series of deadly attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan. Anas, currently in Afghan custody, was added to the team in an effort to pressure Kabul to release him, said analysts.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the founding members of the Taliban, is also expected to take part in the opening meeting. Baradar was released from Pakistani custody in October and appointed to head the Taliban political office in Qatar last month.

The U.S. team is led by Zalmay Khalilzad, the special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation. Khalilzad was appointed to the position last year and has since made several tours of the region.

The Taliban continues to refuse to meet with representatives of the government in Kabul. The militant group does not want to give President Ashraf Ghani any boost ahead of presidential elections set for July, according to Khalilzad.

A grand assembly (loya jirga) is set for March after Ghani accepted a proposal by civil society groups to bring together all segments of Afghan society to develop a consensus for a framework for a peace accord, officials said. A commission overseeing the preparation for the event will decided whether to invite the Taliban.