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Qatari Diplomat: ‘There’s a Serious Need for Engagement’ With the Taliban

Qatar’s assistant foreign minister discussed the Taliban, the need for a clear road map, and Afghanistan’s uncertain future.

By , a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy, and , a former intern at Foreign Policy.
Qatari assistant foreign minister Lolwah Rashid al-Khater
Qatari assistant foreign minister Lolwah Rashid al-Khater
Qatari assistant foreign minister Lolwah Rashid al-Khater is seen during an interview in Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 4. Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

Leaving Afghanistan

The small but wealthy Gulf state of Qatar has emerged as a pivotal intermediary in the Afghan crisis. Since providing a base for the Taliban to open a political office in its capital, Doha, in 2013, Qatar hosted talks between the Trump administration and the Taliban. That culminated in the Doha Agreement in February 2020, which set a timeline for complete U.S. troop withdrawal in exchange for a Taliban pledge to break with terrorists.

Amy Mackinnon is a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @ak_mack

Zinya Salfiti is a former intern at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @zinyasalfitii

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