U.S.

- Afghanistan Peace Talks

After months of negotiations between the United States and the Taliban, both sides have signaled
that they are nearing an initial peace deal for Afghanistan. The conflict has stretched for nearly
18 years, taking the lives of tens of thousands of Afghans and more than 3,500 American and
coalition forces, and costing hundreds of billions of dollars. About 14,000 US troops and around
17,000 troops from 39 NATO allies and partner countries are in Afghanistan in a non-combative
role.

Khalilzad, an Afghan-US diplomat who served as US ambassador to the United Nations (2007-
2009), Iraq (2005-2007) and Afghanistan (2003-2005), is representing Washington in the Doha
talks. The Taliban is represented by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the chief of the group's
political office in Doha, and cofounder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was released in
October last year from a Pakistani prison.

The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan has been a sticking point in the meetings
between the two sides in Doha. The Taliban insists it will not commit to anything until the US
announces a withdrawal timeline and wants the troops out of the country within months.

The Taliban has long refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, which has repeatedly
invited the group for talks with no success. Since the Taliban was overthrown in 2001, the group
maintains that the country has been occupied by foreign forces. It says the Kabul government has
no real power and considers it a "puppet regime". The group says any engagement with the
government would grant it legitimacy.