U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks Resumes Amid High Expectation of Breakthrough

The ninth round of peace talks between the U.S. and Taliban representatives began on Thursday, August 22nd in Doha, the capital of Qatar, a spokesman for the Taliban Zabihullah Mujahid said.

The NATO and U.S. forces commander in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller was among the U.S. delegation led by Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation.

Sources familiar with talks said that the presence of the U.S. intelligence in Afghanistan, the release of Taliban prisoners and the level of officials signing the peace agreement were among the major issues discussed.

Meanwhile, Jack Keane, a retired American four-star general said that full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan by 2020 is a central part of the U.S.-Taliban talks and the U.S. seeks Taliban guarantee Afghanistan is not going to be used as a launchpad for global terror assaults.

He claims that the deal would be made during the next week but fears Taliban credibility for not supporting Al Qaeda.

This comes as Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani said on Thursday night that partial withdrawal of U.S forces will not impact Afghanistan and that 2019 Presidential Election would be held under any circumstance, an issue Taliban regard as an obstacle for a peace deal.