Observers question the timing of Trump's now-canceled Taliban talks

In a series of tweets Saturday, President Trump said he canceled secret meetings with Taliban leaders and, separately, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani that would have taken place at Camp David. Trump said they were scheduled for Sunday, although a senior administration official said the talks would have been held Monday, The New York Times reports.

The president called the whole thing off, however, after the Taliban claimed responsibility for a recent attack in Afghanistan that left a U.S. soldier dead. "If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don't have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway," Trump wrote.

The peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban had reportedly been progressing toward a "framework agreement," which would result in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. That no longer seems likely at the moment, though there remains a chance talks can be revived, Politico reports.

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The Camp David situation has spurred conflicted feelings among observers, many of whom support a diplomatic solution to the war in Afghanistan. But inviting the Taliban to Washington, especially as the anniversary of 9/11 nears, didn't sit particularly well. Read more at Politico and The New York Times.