Mike Pompeo to meet Taliban, Afghan negotiators in Doha

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will meet on Saturday Taliban and the Afghanistan negotiators of the intra-Afghan deal, the State Department said on Friday.  

Pompeo will meet teams of both the sides separately in the Qatari capital Doha. 

Also read | Taliban welcome US troop drawdown from Afghanistan as 'good step'    

He will also meet Qatar's ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the foreign minister during the Doha visit.

Also read | Pakistani Taliban was involved in Helmand attacks: Afghan Interior Minister spokesperson to WION

Earlier this week, the Pentagon said it would soon withdraw 2,000 American troops from Afghanistan, ramping up the commitments with Taliban agreed in February. 

It said the US would pull out 2,000 of its troops by mid-January that will leave only 2,500 in the region. 

Donald Trump has repeatedly called for ending "foreign wars", including the one in Afghanistan which began after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

President-elect Joe Biden, also in a rare consensus supports pulling out troops from the region, however, experts say he will not look for a fast withdrawal as was aimed by Trump. 

The talks between Taliban and Afghanistan have shown little sign of progress, but news agency AFP has said several sources confirmed that a key sticking point between the two sides has been resolved.