US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Doha Saturday to satisfy negotiators from the Afghan authorities and Taliban, amid indicators of progress of their talks as Washington accelerates its withdrawal.

Pompeo’s go to comes within the wake of a rocket assault which struck densely populated areas of Kabul, killing at the least eight individuals within the newest outbreak of violence within the Afghan capital.

The Taliban have denied accountability and no group has claimed the strike.

The State Division mentioned that Pompeo will meet individually with the Afghan authorities and Taliban negotiation groups within the Qatari capital.

He can even see Qatar’s ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the overseas minister on his cease in Doha, the Taliban’s base for diplomacy.

The outgoing prime US diplomat is on a seven-nation tour of Europe and the Center East, as President Donald Trump shores up late-term priorities.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon mentioned it will quickly pull some 2,000 troops out of Afghanistan, rushing up the timeline established in a February settlement between Washington and the Taliban that envisions a full US withdrawal in mid-2021.

Trump has repeatedly vowed to finish “endlessly wars”, together with in Afghanistan, America’s longest-ever battle that started with an invasion to dislodge the Taliban following the September 11, 2001 assaults.

President-elect Joe Biden, in a uncommon level of settlement with Trump, additionally advocates winding down the Afghanistan battle, though analysts consider he is not going to be as wedded to a fast withdrawal.

– Breakthrough? –

The Taliban are talking to Afghanistan’s authorities for the primary time.

The talks began on September 12 in Doha however virtually instantly faltered over disagreements concerning the agenda, the essential framework of discussions and spiritual interpretations.

A number of sources instructed AFP on Friday that the 2 sides seem to have resolved a number of the points, nonetheless.

Among the many sticking factors to date, the Taliban and the Afghan authorities have struggled to agree on frequent language on two most important points.

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The Taliban, who’re Sunni hardliners, are insisting on adherence to the Hanafi faculty of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, however authorities negotiators say this might be used to discriminate towards Hazaras, who’re predominantly Shiite, and different minorities.

One other contentious matter is how the US-Taliban deal will form a future Afghan peace deal and the way will probably be referred to.

The Doha peace talks opened after the Taliban and Washington signed a deal in February, with the US agreeing to withdraw all overseas forces in alternate for safety ensures and a Taliban promise to start out talks.

– Violence surging –

Regardless of the talks, violence has surged throughout Afghanistan, with the Taliban stepping up each day assaults towards Afghan safety forces.

Trump’s plan to slash troops by January 15 — lower than per week earlier than his successor Joe Biden is to be sworn in to workplace — has been criticised by Kabul residents who worry it’ll embolden the Taliban to unleash a brand new wave of combating.

Afghan civilians have lengthy borne the brunt of the nation’s bloodshed.

Officers in Kabul additionally fear it’ll harden the Taliban place on the negotiating desk, the place the way forward for hard-won good points together with ladies’s rights are on the road.

Saturday’s strike on the Afghan capital noticed a barrage of rockets slam into numerous components of central and north Kabul — together with in and across the closely fortified Inexperienced Zone that homes embassies and worldwide corporations.

The Iranian embassy mentioned on Twitter that its most important constructing had been hit by rocket fragments after a missile landed on the premises. Nobody on the compound, positioned simply outdoors the Inexperienced Zone, was wounded.

Inside ministry spokesman Tariq Arian blamed the Taliban, saying “terrorists” had fired a complete of 23 rockets. Nevertheless, the Taliban denied accountability, saying they “don’t blindly hearth on public locations”.

Current massive assaults in Kabul, together with two horrific assaults on instructional establishments that killed practically 50 individuals in current weeks, comply with a well-known sample within the aftermath, with the Taliban denying any involvement whereas the Afghan authorities pins the blame on them or their proxies.

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