"Perceive the United States as a losing side": how did the first official talks between Washington and the Taliban end

The United States regards the Doha talks with the Taliban * as "frank and professional."

This is stated in a statement on the website of the US State Department on behalf of the official representative of the department Ned Price.

“The negotiations were held in an atmosphere of sincerity and professionalism.

US officials reiterated that the Taliban will be judged by their actions, and not just by their words, ”the statement said.

The State Department said that the American delegation paid attention to the problems of security and terrorism in the negotiations, the issue of safe travel for US citizens, representatives of other countries and Washington's "Afghan partners", as well as the issue of human rights observance, including the significant participation of women in all aspects of Afghan life. society.

"The parties also discussed America's provision of substantial humanitarian aid directly to the people of Afghanistan," the statement said.

Doha Meetup

Taliban talks between the United States and the Taliban took place on October 9-10 in Doha and were the first high-level contacts since the movement's seizure of power in Afghanistan.

Earlier, the American media reported that the US delegation was headed not by a State Department official, but by the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, David Cohen.

He was accompanied by Deputy Special Representative of the State Department for Afghanistan Tom West and a representative of the United States Agency for International Development.

• Taliban delegation at talks in Doha

• Reuters

According to the CBS TV channel, received from a government source, the White House decided to give the leading role in the negotiations to a CIA representative, including in order to signal the intention to devote the first official contact with the Taliban to the issue of terrorism.

On the eve of talks in northeastern Afghanistan, an explosion took place in a Shiite mosque in Kunduz during Friday prayers, killing about 100 people.

The bombing was carried out by a suicide bomber.

Later, a member of the Taliban Commission on Culture Mohammad Jalal said that the attack was carried out by militants of the Vilayat Khorasan group, which is the Afghan branch of the Islamic State **.

It should be noted that representatives of the Taliban ruled out the possibility of cooperation with the United States to fight ISIS terrorists in Afghanistan.

So, the representative of the movement Suhail Shahin told reporters that the Taliban can deal with the terrorists on their own.

At the same time, following the results of Saturday's round of talks, the movement stated that an attempt to weaken its power in Afghanistan could lead to problematic situations in the country.

“We have clearly told them that an attempt to destabilize the government in Afghanistan will not benefit anyone,” Interfax quotes Acting President.

Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki.

In general, the movement assessed the negotiations with the United States as successful, called for compliance with the agreement reached between the parties in 2020, and also noted that the issue of supplying humanitarian aid to Afghanistan should not be linked to political issues.

“Efforts must be made to restore diplomatic relations to a better state,” Interfax quotes a statement from the Taliban.

In the movement, they noted that the parties agreed to hold similar meetings, if necessary, in the future.

"Maximizes the victory effect"

Recall that at the end of August, the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year presence in the country.

The hasty evacuation of the contingent provoked the activation of the radical Taliban movement, which launched an offensive against the positions of government forces.

At the same time, the United States tried to stop the situation diplomatically.

For example, on August 10, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad was sent to Doha to influence the Taliban and stop its advance on the positions of the pro-American government.

However, the Taliban continued their offensive and in just a few weeks captured most of the important settlements and administrative centers, after which on August 15 they entered Kabul without a fight and announced the establishment of control over the country.

• Talib at prayer in Kabul

• AP

• © Bernat Armangue

The United States established contacts with the movement not only through the Doha dialogue.

The American media reported on August 24 that the head of the CIA, William Burns, made a secret visit to Kabul.

Citing sources in the Biden administration, The Washington Post reported that Burns allegedly held a meeting with Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the leaders of the movement.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of a chaotic evacuation of foreign military, diplomats and Afghans who collaborated with the West from the Kabul airport - by that time it was possible to leave the country only by flying out of there by plane.

The publication notes that the CIA then refused to comment on the secret trip of the head of the department to Kabul.

President of the Center for Strategic Communications Dmitry Abzalov, in an interview with RT, noted that Washington failed to obtain any substantive agreements at the first official negotiations between the United States and the Taliban regime in Doha.

“The Taliban see the US as a losing side.

They had one main enemy, and they believe that he was defeated and liberated the country from American occupation.

They don't see Washington as a partner.

Now the Taliban are using the maximum victory effect to establish their own radical order, "Abzalov explained.

The expert was skeptical about the statements of the State Department about the constructive nature of the negotiations.

“The negotiations did not end very well.

Washington hoped that it would somehow coordinate actions to combat Al-Qaeda *** and IS.

But the Taliban abandoned this initiative.

Washington hoped that it would be possible to carry out pinpoint operations on the territory of Afghanistan using neighboring countries, but without its own infrastructure, this is not possible, ”said Dmitry Abzalov.

He also stressed that the meeting took place against the background of the complication of the situation in Afghanistan.

“As predicted, elements of a civil war began there.

Terrorist attacks against the Taliban have begun.

This leads to serious casualties, against this background there is an additional increase in tension in the country, because the economic situation in Afghanistan is very difficult, ”the political scientist explained.

Washington has blocked the gold and foreign exchange reserves of Afghanistan and is blocking foreign economic activity, which leads to a serious devaluation of the national currency, Dmitry Abzalov added.

“The last time the country earned on its own without external influence for a long time.

The situation is destabilized.

And the worse the situation in Afghanistan will be, the worse the situation will be for Biden in the United States.

He bears responsibility for the withdrawal of troops and destabilization, respectively, any actions that take place in Afghanistan will affect his image, "says the interlocutor of RT.

* "Taliban" - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2003.

** "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.

*** "Al-Qaeda" - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 02.14.2003.