U.S. officials and "mid-level, senior-level Taliban leaders" are engaging in "intensified dialogue" in Kabul about ending the war in Afghanistan, Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, told reporters via teleconference Wednesday.
"A number of channels of dialogue have opened up between the various stakeholders in the peace process," Nicholson said. "Now, what's been encouraging, is that concurrent with this intensified dialogue, we saw the levels of violence drop to lower levels ... I call this talking and fighting," he continued. "And, as [Defense Secretary James Mattis] has said, 'Violence and progress can coexist,' and that's what we're seeing."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
-
Marine Le Pen's fake jobs trialThe Explainer The far-right French leader could face a fine, jail time, and a five-year ban from public office if found guilty of embezzlement
-
How to earn extra cash for ChristmasThe Explainer The holiday season can be expensive but there are ways to bolster your festive finances
-
Pentagon Discord leaker gets 15 years in prisonSpeed Read Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member, leaked classified military documents
-
Saudi crown prince slams Israeli 'genocide' in GazaSpeed Read Mohammed bin Salman has condemned Israel’s actions
-
Trump fills key slots, tapping Congress, MAGA loyalistsSpeed Read The president-elect continues to fill his administration with new foreign policy, environment and immigration roles assigned
-
Haiti council fires prime minister, boosting chaosSpeed Read Prime Minister Garry Conille was replaced with Alix Didier Fils-Aimé
-
Trump tells next Senate GOP leader to skip confirmationsSpeed Read The president-elect said the next Senate majority leader must allow him to make recess appointments
-
Fed cuts rates, chair says he won't quit if Trump asksSpeed Read Jerome Powell was noncommittal on future rate cuts that were expected before Trump won the election
-
Judge revives plea deal for 9/11 suspectsSpeed Read A military judge has ruled to restore the plea deals struck by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-conspirators
-
Harris concedes as world prepares for Trump's returnSpeed Read Vice President Kamala Harris told supporters it was important to 'accept the results of this election'
