Afghanistan’s interior minister said Saturday that Afghan security forces can hold their ground even if U.S. troops withdraw, challenging a warning from the United States predicting a withdrawal would yield quick territorial gains to the Taliban.
The Pentagon said last week that the Taliban’s refusal to meet commitments to reduce violence raises questions about whether all U.S. troops will be able to leave by May as required under the U.S.-Taliban deal.
The long-awaited peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government’s negotiating team are to begin on Saturday in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, the Taliban and Qatar’s foreign ministry said Thursday.
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