February 1, 2022
NOT YOUR FATHER'S TALIBAN:
Qatar agrees with Taliban on resuming Afghanistan evacuations (Al Monitor, 2/01/22)
News of the deal comes just days after reports that Turkey, Qatar and the Taliban had agreed on resolving outstanding issues over jointly running Kabul's airport.The Qatari foreign minister and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hammad Al Thani visited Washington this week for meetings with top US officials.President Joe Biden announced a decision to elevate Qatar to the official status of major non-NATO US ally yesterday, lauding the Gulf country's support for US foreign policy initiatives, including evacuations from Afghanistan.Doha has stood in as an intermediary for US-Taliban diplomatic communications as the two do not share formal ties.The Gulf state has enjoyed increasingly warm relations with the Biden administration after more than three years of diplomatic isolation by Arab neighbors.The previous US administration under President Donald Trump worked more closely with Saudi Arabia, which led the Gulf Cooperation Council's blockade of Qatar starting in 2017. The rift was formally ended early last year by US-brokered talks.
Posted by Orrin Judd at February 1, 2022 4:07 PM