Ashraf Ghani’s Bold Move for Taliban Peace

The Afghan government and Taliban, accompanied by representatives of the Haqqani network, met for peace talks. The Taliban demand closure of all foreign bases, a prisoner exchange and end to a United Nations blacklist on travel for individuals. The government expects the insurgents to respect women’s rights; all members of the Afghan delegation were male. “The presence of US and Chinese diplomats as official observers at the Islamabad talks was another breakthrough,” reports David Loyn for BBC News, adding that the Taliban are polarized about compromise. “Although the Afghan government team was convinced it was talking to an official Taliban delegation, there is some uncertainty as to whether this is true.” President Ashraf Ghani worked to improve relations with neighboring Pakistan, which led to the talks. Afghanistan is divided, too, with many suspecting that the neighboring state does not do enough to crack down on extremism and even arms some groups. – YaleGlobal

Ashraf Ghani's Bold Move for Taliban Peace

The first face-to-face talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Pakistan happened after months of "talks about talks"; both sides are divided
David Loyn
Friday, July 10, 2015
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