United States (US) and Taliban officials met in Doha, Qatar this weekend for their first face-to-face meeting between both sides since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August. The talks focussed on the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, the prevention of terrorism from Afghan soil, and the issue of human rights.
“The US delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for US citizens, other foreign nationals, and our Afghan partners,” US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said. He added that the discussions focussed on the human rights situation in the country and the US delegation called on the Taliban to respect the rights of all Afghans, “including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society.”
Price said the meeting was “candid and professional.” He added that “the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words,” referring to the Taliban’s promises to respect human rights and to not allow Afghanistan as a base for terrorism.
“The two sides also discussed the United States’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people,” Price said. He did not mention how much aid would be provided and gave no timeline.
Also Read: Does the Delivery of Aid to Afghanistan Inherently Legitimise the Taliban?
Furthermore, Biden administration officials told Reuters that the US delegation had pressed the Taliban to release American Mark Frerichs, a military contractor, who was kidnapped by the Taliban last year. Frerichs is believed to be the last American held in captivity by the group.
The Taliban also confirmed Washington’s decision to provide more aid to Afghanistan but noted that the US did not recognise its new government. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry stated that the US “will give humanitarian assistance to Afghans and will provide facilities for humanitarian organisations to deliver aid.” The Ministry added that “humanitarian assistance should not be linked with political issues.”
Two-day dialogue between delegations of the Islamic Emirate and USA in Doha. pic.twitter.com/MTbhOhObRk
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) October 10, 2021
Noting that the talks “went well” and that they provided a “good opportunity of understanding,” the Ministry said “efforts should be exerted to restore diplomatic relations” between the US and the Taliban to a “better state.” The Taliban statement added that “such meetings will continue to be held in the future if required.”
Furthermore, Al Jazeera reported that the Taliban viewed the talks as “positive” and hoped that it would lead to recognition of the Afghan government by the US as well as the international community. The news agency said the Taliban delegation asked the US to end the economic sanctions and release around $10 billion worth of assets.
The Taliban’s Foreign Minister, Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi, said both sides discussed “opening a new page” in their relations and added that the US would offer COVID-19 vaccines to Afghans. Muttaqi also noted that the Taliban delegation will later meet with representatives from the European Union.
Regarding cooperation in the field of terrorism, the Taliban ruled out cooperating with the US in containing Islamic State (IS) militants in Afghanistan. Taliban’s Doha Spokesman Suhail Shaheen said: “We are able to tackle Daesh independently.” His comments come as the IS has ramped up attacks since the Taliban took power, including two bombings in Kabul last month. The Taliban also arrested four IS terrorists last week in connection to the attacks.
The Taliban retook power in Afghanistan on August 15—almost 20 years after the US ousted the group in a military invasion—following the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from the country.