Taliban, US discuss ‘in detail’ troop withdrawal, counter-terrorism at peace talks – report

US and Taliban officials looking to end a 17-year war in Afghanistan began their most detailed and high-level discussions yet on foreign troop withdrawals and counter-terrorism on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing officials close to the peace negotiations. The talks kicked off in Doha on Monday and are seen as the most promising yet between the warring parties after the Taliban’s newly-appointed political chief, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, joined for the first time, flying in from Pakistan. The two sides are looking to hammer out a timeline and logistics for a potential troop withdrawal, as well as guarantees that the Taliban will not host militant groups as the US winds down its presence, according to the sources.