Taliban, Afghan Government Postpone Meeting Indefinitely

AVA- The well-known intra-Afghan talks were scheduled to begin Friday, in Doha, and would be extended until Sunday, but so far they have been cancelled without a resumption date, commented Afghan Voice Agency.
The reason for the cancellation, as stated by the interviewees, could be the insurgent group's rejection of the list of government representatives presented by Kabul authorities.

Afghan government released last Tuesday a list of 250 names who will form the negotiating team for talks with the Taliban.

This meeting raised great expectations and, if held, could be the first face to face between the Taliban and members of the Ghani executive, after the insurgents' constant refusal to enter into talks with the Afghan government because they consider it a US puppet.

However, the rebels have already met with Washington envoys - at least five times since last summer - to try to reach agreement on how to end a 17-year war.

In the past, all attempts to restore calm in Afghanistan have failed and the country has been at war since 2001, when the United States and its NATO allies launched an alleged crusade against terrorism there.