State Department HQ Photo: AgnosticPreachersKid /Wikimedia Commons
The United States believes Afghanistan ultimately needs a political solution which could best be achieved if the Taliban enters into Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace talks.
A State Department spokesperson also indicated Tuesday that Washington could have a role in Afghan-led process.
Spokesperson Heather Nauert said at the daily Press briefing that the United States has seen the Taliban letter of talks offer.
“So we certainly saw this letter and are aware of this letter. Any peace talks with Afghanistan have to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. That has long been our policy,” she said while responding to a question about the Taliban letter.
The militant group, which has been engaged in a fierce insurgency in Afghanistan, published a letter this month, asking the United States to begin talks as a way to resolve the longest conflict in the American history.
State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert Photo: White House/Wikipedia
However, at the briefing, Nauert noted, the “Taliban, unfortunately, does not seem ready at this point to sit down and have conversations about peace talks.
“We hope eventually they will, because that is the best way to be able to have peace in Afghanistan.
“Ultimately, we don’t see there being a military solution to the situation in Afghanistan. Ultimately, it has to be a political situation, a political solution.
“And that can best be done, if the Taliban is willing to sit down and have talks – certainly the United States Government could have a role in that. But that is up to – that’s really up to Afghanistan, but it has to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.”
