Blinken's State Department praises the Taliban for being 'candid and professional' in talks where the US decided they would give Afghanistan humanitarian aid
State Department representatives met with Taliban leaders on Sunday, and spokesman Ned Price praised the talks as 'candid and professional.'
'The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.'
In its meeting in Doha, Qatar, Price said: 'The U.S. delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for U.S. citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society.'
The US also agreed to offer humanitarian provisions to the desperately poor country, though only 'directly to the Afghan people,' rather than through leadership.
The State Department ahead of the talks assured that they did not represent any steps toward formal recognition of the Islamist group as Afghanistan's leaders.
'The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words,' the State Department, led by Sec. Antony Blinken, said about talks with the Taliban over the weekend
The meeting was the first time the two groups had met since the US' frenzied withdrawal amid Taliban takeover of Kabul
The meeting was the first time the two groups had met since the US' frenzied withdrawal amid Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Meanwhile, the Taliban have not allowed women to return school and have been beheading those who worked for the US. Many gays, minorities and Christians report barely leaving the house as they believe they will be beheaded if members of the insurgent group find out their true identity.
Taliban representatives told the Associated Press that talks with the US 'went well,' and that the Taliban reiterated its commitment to keeping terrorists out of the country.
However, the Taliban ruled out collaboration with the US to contain the Islamic State (IS) group's growth within the nation. The group was responsible for a suicide bombing that killed 46 minority Shiite Muslims and wounded more than 100 others who were praying at a mosque in Kunduz on Friday and Washington considers it to be one of the greatest threats inside Afghanistan.
The Taliban ruled out collaboration with the US to contain the Islamic State (IS) group's growth within the nation
A worker checks documents of people after Taliban announced the reopening for passport applications, outside the passport office in Kabul on October 6
The Taliban, who viciously ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001, gave refuge to al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks
'We are able to tackle Daesh independently,' Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said when asked whether the Taliban would work with the U.S. to contain the Islamic State affiliate, using an Arabic acronym for IS.
The Taliban, who viciously ruled Afghanistan from 1996-2001, gave refuge to al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks.
The U.N. continued to sound the alarm about the country's dire economic situation, saying a humanitarian crisis is imminent.
The world body's children's agency warned that half of Afghanistan's children under age 5 are expected to suffer from severe malnutrition as hunger takes root amid serious food shortages.
'There are millions of people who are going to starve and there is winter coming, COVID raging, and the whole social system collapsed,' said Omar Adbi, UNICEF's deputy executive director for programs, during a visit to a Kabul children's hospital.
