US delegation meets Taliban in Qatar to talk security, rights

Updated 2 years ago · Published on 11 Oct 2021 8:40AM · 0 Comments

Displaced Afghan children live at a camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 9, 2021. Some 3.2 million children under the age of five are at risk of severe malnutrition in Afghanistan by the end of the year as a result of the country's severe humanitarian crisis, augmented by the Taliban's takeover of the country, according to the Unicef. – EPA pic, October 11, 2021.

US officials have met with senior Taliban representatives in Qatar to discuss security and human rights in Afghanistan, the State Department said yesterday.

A US interagency delegation flew to Doha on Saturday and yesterday for talks “focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for US citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners,” according to State Department spokesman Ned Price. 

Other areas of focus were “human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society,” Price said in a statement.

The two sides also discussed “the United States’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people.”

According to the State Department, the discussions were “candid and professional” and US officials reiterated that “the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.”

The Taliban are seeking international recognition, as well as assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster, after they returned to power in August following the withdrawal of US troops following 20 years of war. – AFP, October 11, 2021.

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