Afghan attack kills US soldiers hours after news of talks ~ BBC.
Four US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, hours after the US announced direct talks with the Taliban.
The soldiers were killed by “indirect fire” from insurgents at Bagram air base, US officials said.
Bagram, near the Afghan capital Kabul, is the largest military base for US troops in Afghanistan.
A condition for the talks, due to take place in the coming days in Qatar, was for the Taliban to renounce violence.
In comments made before the news of the attack emerged, US President Barack Obama said the announcement of talks was an “important first step toward reconciliation”.
The first meeting is due to take place in the coming days in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban have just opened their first official overseas office.
US officials said prisoner exchanges would be one topic for discussion with the Taliban, but the first weeks would mainly be used to explore each other’s agendas.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government was also sending delegates to Qatar to talk to the Taliban.
Also on Tuesday, Nato handed over responsibility for security for the whole of the country to Afghan security forces.
International troops are to remain in Afghanistan until the end of 2014, providing military back-up when needed.
Trust ‘low’As well as renouncing violence, other conditions of the talks are that the Taliban break ties with al-Qaeda and respect the Afghan constitution – including the rights of women and minorities.
US officials told reporters the first formal meeting between US and Taliban representatives was expected to take place in Doha next week, with talks between President Karzai’s High Peace Council and the Taliban due a few days after that.
The level of trust between the Afghan government and the Taliban is described as “low”.
In the past, the Taliban have always refused to meet President Karzai or his government, dismissing them as puppets of Washington.
Masoom Stanekzai, secretary of the High Peace Council, would not give a specific date for their talks but said they would take place “within days”.
US officials stressed that this was the first step on a very long road, adding that there was no guarantee of success.
From other news sites
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Guardian.co.uk US to join direct peace talks in Qatar with Taliban over Afghanistan’s future
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Telegraph US drops demand to renounce al-Qaeda
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The New Nation US to sit with Taliban
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Sunday People America and Taliban set for direct talks this week over Afghanistan peace deal
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Reuters UK United States to meet Taliban to seek Afghan peace ___________________________________________________________________
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