RASC News Agency: Karen Decker, the U.S. Charge d’Affaires for Afghanistan, stated in an interview with reporters that the Taliban did not achieve any of their primary objectives at the third Doha meeting. She noted that the Taliban had three main demands: international recognition, the return of seized assets, and the lifting of sanctions. However, none of these demands were met during the talks.
Previously, the Taliban claimed that some of their demands had been addressed at the third Doha meeting. However, Decker emphasized that the Afghanistani people desire a different future than what the Taliban envision. She added that it is up to the Afghanistani people to communicate this to the Taliban. Decker explained that issues the Taliban considered internal were challenged by the representatives of other countries at the meeting.
Although the Taliban were invited, and the head of their delegation claimed post-meeting that there was coordination with Russia and other countries, this assertion was swiftly denied by Russia, the United Nations, and other countries mentioned by the Taliban. The meeting was boycotted by Afghanistani women, with none attending despite invitations. Those invited also declined to participate, viewing the meeting as a negotiation with terrorists.
Civil society activists in Afghanistan similarly boycotted the meeting, condemning it as a deal with the Taliban. In her latest remarks, Karen Decker reiterated that the Taliban did not achieve their objectives at the meeting. This follows the Taliban’s prior claims that Russia and other countries had supported them during the talks, claims which were subsequently refuted by Russia and the mentioned countries.
