I am more than grateful that man has a second term in the White House. We might actually be able to instill peace in the world.
NATO solders walk towards a Chinook helicopter after a ceremony at a military academy on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. (Rahmat Gul/Associated Press)
By Kathleen Hennessey
June 18, 2013
ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (click here) -- Senior Obama administration officials said Tuesday that the Taliban has agreed to participate in peace talks based in Qatar, a key step forward in the effort to jump-start a political resolution of the war in Afghanistan ahead of U.S. plans to withdraw troops.
Officials said direct talks between U.S. officials and Taliban representatives could begin this week in Doha and would be followed soon after by a meeting between the Taliban and the High Peace Council, which will represent the Afghan government in the talks.
The opening of the Qatar office has long been a goal of U.S. officials seeking to move forward a diplomatic process ahead of the planned withdrawal of U.S. forces next year. Officials expressed cautious optimism about the prospects of the negotiations, and stressed that U.S. will act as a “facilitator” in the process....
