Afghan government signals it may join Taliban talks

6/20/2013

KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan spokesman says President Hamid Karzai is willing to join peace talks with the Taliban if the U.S. follows through with promises he says were made by Secretary of State John Kerry in a phone call.

The planned talks were thrown into disarray when Karzai canceled a planned delegation to the newly opened Taliban office in Qatar because he said the U.S. broke commitments that the office would not be seen as an embassy or government-in-exile.

Spokesman Fayeq Wahidi says Kerry promised that the Taliban flag and a nameplate with their former regime’s name would be removed and said the U.S. would issue a formal letter supporting the Afghan government.

Wahidi says “we would see no problem in entering into talks with the Taliban in Qatar” once that happens.