U.S. Army soldiers make their way to the Zabul Juvenile Detention Facility in Qalat in Afghanistan's Zabul province, May 11, 2011. The soldiers, assigned to 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brian FergusonU.S. Speeds Up Direct Talks With Taliban -- Washington Post
The administration has accelerated direct talks with the Taliban, initiated several months ago, that U.S. officials say they hope will enable President Obama to report progress toward a settlement of the Afghanistan war when he announces troop withdrawals in July.
A senior Afghan official said a U.S. representative attended at least three meetings in Qatar and Germany, one as recently as “eight or nine days ago,” with a Taliban official considered close to Mohammad Omar, the group’s leader.
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