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Taliban want US deal, but some in bigger hurry than others

Taliban want US deal, but some in bigger hurry than others

By Associated Press

In this May 28, 2019 file photo, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban group's top political leader, left, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's chief negotiator, talk to each other during a meeting in Moscow, Russia. File Photo: AP

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan's Taliban leaders agree that they want a deal with the United States, but some among them are in more of a hurry than others. Even before President Donald Trump over the weekend cancelled a mysterious Camp David summit, Taliban negotiators were at odds with their council of leaders. According to Taliban officials familiar with the discussions, the shura opposed the trip to Camp David and chastised the negotiators who were eager to attend. The Taliban have been holding talks with the US for over a year in the Qatari capital, Doha, where the militant Islamic movement maintains a political office under the banner of The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Taliban officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of they were not authorized to discuss internal debates with reporters.