US opens first round of resurrected peace talks with Taliban

Posted: Dec 7, 2019 / 04:16 AM MST / Updated: Dec 7, 2019 / 05:35 PM MST

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, center, walks Gen. Scott Miller, right, chief of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, at the U.S. military headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019. Esper arrived Sunday in Afghanistan, where stalled peace talks with the Taliban and persistent violent attacks by the insurgent group and Islamic State militants have complicated the Trump administration’s pledge to withdraw more than 5,000 American troops. He told reporters traveling with him that he believes the U.S. can reduce its force in Afghanistan without hurting the counterterrorism fight against al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Lolita C. Balbor)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad held on Saturday the first official talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban since President Donald Trump declared a near-certain peace deal with the insurgents dead in September.

A U.S. statement said talks will initially focus on getting a Taliban promise to reduce violence with a permanent cease-fire being the eventual goal.

Khalilzad has spoken about including in the negotiations all sides in the conflict.

Taliban have so far refused direct talks with the Afghan government.