First meeting between the US and the Taliban after the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan
The Taliban takeover of Kabul just under two months ago ushered in a new - and worrying - phase in Afghanistan. The withdrawal of US troops from the country after 20 years of presence on Afghan soil was seized upon by the radicals to seize power and run the country. Now, from a position of leadership, they sit down to talk to the United States while receiving support from China, which seeks to secure its presence in Afghanistan at all costs. The ambitious Belt and Road project designed by Beijing involves guaranteeing the route in the region now controlled by the Taliban, something that Xi Jinping's people are not entirely reassured about.
The situation in Afghanistan is forcing the major powers to sit down and talk in order to bring positions closer together and, at least, try to help improve the current reality that is subjecting the Afghan population, whose rights - especially those of women - have been drastically curtailed. Washington held its first meeting in Doha with the Taliban, who asked the Biden Administration to lift the blockade on the Afghan Central Bank's reserves deposited at the Federal Reserve. Acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told Al Jazeera.
However, the Taliban's refusal to confront the ISIS threat is not conducive to the lifting of the US blockade. After the chaos of the takeover of the Afghan capital, the Taliban are seeking to legitimise their government internationally, something that will not be easy for them. Moreover, despite the meeting between the extremists and the Americans, Washington says it has no intention of recognising or legitimising Taliban control, but that the meeting was limited to matters of national interest to the Americans.
One of the aspects that the representatives of the Biden administration did intend to address is the departure of those people who still remain in Afghan territory and want to leave the country. In addition, they urge the Taliban to respect the rights of citizens, especially those of women and girls. The US administration complains about the slow process of identifying American and US-based Afghan nationals for return to the country. This is where Qatar, which is now hosting the meeting between the two sides, is playing an important role in trying to speed up the process.
Up to 1,300 people have been evacuated thanks to aid provided from Doha. The last of six planes chartered by Qatar on Wednesday flew in foreign nationals and even Afghans who could be at risk at home under Taliban rule. This evacuation process, which has not yet been completed, is another reason for the Taliban-US meeting. The intention is not to stop the talks here but to remain in contact at least throughout Sunday, when several representatives of European countries are expected to arrive in the Qatari capital.
However, Europe is not as clear about the Taliban's approach as the Taliban are: "Good relations with Afghanistan are good for everyone. Nothing should be done to weaken the current government of Afghanistan, which can take the lead in finding solutions to the problems of its people," Khan Muttaqi told AFP. The Taliban foreign minister even warned the Americans and Europeans that "we have told them clearly that trying to destabilise the government of Afghanistan is not good for anyone".
If there is one thing that is clear in the West, it is that the security of the Afghan population depends on a negotiating table with the Taliban. The relationship with ISIS is the biggest concern at the moment, as opening formal talks with the new Taliban government would legitimise the control taken by force of an extremist group that does not hesitate to systematically violate human rights. On the other hand, the very serious humanitarian crisis facing Afghanistan is forcing the main Western powers to decide what to do with a country whose 75% of public spending was provided by aid received from abroad, and which with the arrival of the Taliban has come to a screeching halt.
