Afghan government irked over U.S. talks with Taliban
Source: Reuters
(Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai distanced himself from U.S. peace talks with Taliban insurgents that are likely to begin on Thursday, and, as a mark of displeasure, said the government was suspending negotiations with Washington over a troop agreement.
A senior Afghan official told Reuters on Wednesday that the government was unhappy over the official status being given to the Taliban, who opened an office in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Tuesday.
U.S. officials have said talks with the Taliban would begin in Doha on Thursday, raising hopes for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan after 12 years of bloody and costly war between American-led forces and the insurgents.
Fighting, however, continues in the war-ravaged nation. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in a rocket attack on the heavily fortified Bagram base near Kabul late on Tuesday, international military officials said.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/19/us-afghanistan-taliban-idUSBRE95I03R20130619
I concluded something odd was going on yesterday.
I'd posted this which made no mention whatsoever of the US : Karzai announces peace talks as Afghans take over security http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3038782
And then some hours later the US mentioned their own talks : US to open direct Taliban talks http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014511547
= new reply since forum marked as read
