US envoy on Afghanistan peace talks makes surprise stop in Kabul

Washington’s special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was in the Afghan capital on Wednesday “to discuss the latest in peace efforts,” a former Afghan deputy foreign minister said.

Hekmat Karzai, chairman of the Kabul-based Center for Conflict and Peace Studies, tweeted photographs of his meeting with Khalilzad in Kabul, saying they “spoke about the way forward.”

A Taliban official said the group has held informal talks with the Americans, without specifying where or who participated, AP reported.

Khalilzad’s visit comes days after President Donald Trump visited US troops in Afghanistan for the Thanksgiving holiday, when he hinted at a resumption of peace talks with the Taliban.