(Washington Examiner) But still on the negotiating table is one of the Taliban’s main priorities: removing U.S. troops from Afghanistan. A source familiar with the deal told the Wall Street Journal conversations are continuing concerning the status of the approximately 14,000 U.S. troops in the region, as are discussions for future plans of U.S. bases in Afghanistan that the Taliban wants closed.
(Long War Journal) The Taliban has appointed Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to lead its political office in Doha, Qatar, which is tasked with negotiating the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Baradar spent eight years in Pakistani custody before he was released in 2018.