Afghans say US assures Taliban office is not recognition

  
The United States has given Afghanistan written assurance that the new Taliban office in Qatar does not constitute political recognition for the Islamist group, senior Afghan officials told Reuters on Wednesday.         

Afghan President Hamid Karzai phoned U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday to express his concerns over the Taliban office, the officials said.
                             
"Before the opening of the office the United States gave us written guarantees and they were violated," one of two officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said.                                   
Earlier, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has decided to suspend talks on a security pact with the United States, accusing Washington of mixed messages regarding peace talks with the Taliban, his spokesman said.                         

"In a special meeting chaired by President Hamid Karzai, the president has decided to suspend talks about a security pact with the U.S. because of their inconsistent statements and actions in regard to the peace process," spokesman Aimal Faizi told Reuters.          

Negotiations on the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) began earlier this year and, if completed, will define the shape of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan for years to come.


REUTERS