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Trump’s Approach to Afghanistan ‘Confusing His Own Negotiators’

Veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker talks about the “catastrophic” plans for a Taliban summit and scant hopes for any enduring peace deal.

By , a diplomacy and national security reporter at Foreign Policy.
U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad attends the Intra-Afghan Dialogue talks in Doha, Qatar, on July 8.
U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad attends the Intra-Afghan Dialogue talks in Doha, Qatar, on July 8.
U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad attends the Intra-Afghan Dialogue talks in Doha, Qatar, on July 8. Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly derailed months of tense negotiations with the Taliban aimed at ending the nearly two-decade-long fight in Afghanistan. The U.S. talks with the Taliban have drawn controversy because they excluded direct negotiations with the Afghan government, with which the Taliban refuses to negotiate.

Robbie Gramer is a diplomacy and national security reporter at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @RobbieGramer

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