U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says small factions of Taliban forces fighting the U.S.-backed Afghan government have expressed an interest in negotiating an end to the 16-year war.
Mattis made the suggestion Tuesday before arriving in Kabul on an unannounced visit to discuss President Ashraf Ghani's plan to open peace talks with the Taliban. The former Marine general said it "may be a bridge too far" to expect the Islamic insurgent force to sit down at the negotiating table "in one fell swoop."
The Taliban has previously offered to hold talks on a possible peace agreement, but only directly with the United States, which Mattis rejects. "We want the Afghans to lead and provide the substance to the reconciliation effort," he told reporters.
Mattis said the ultimate victory in Afghanistan will be a "political reconciliation" between Kabul and the Taliban, with a country capable of handling its own security.
President Ghani offered late last month to hold unconditional talks with the Taliban and recognize the group as a political party that would contest elections. The president also said the government will provide passports for Taliban members and their families, along with office space in Kabul.
In exchange for these provisions, Ghani said the Taliban should officially recognize the Western-backed Afghan government and the country's constitution.
Afghanistan has been mired in war since a U.S.-led campaign that ousted the Taliban from power in response to the September 11, 2001 al-Qaida terrorist attacks in the United States, and its harboring of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
The U.S. has increased its military presence and activities in Afghanistan under a more aggressive policy ordered by President Donald Trump, boosting the number of forces from 8,500 to about 14,000.
Although the stepped-up U.S. presence has caused heavy casualties among Taliban forces, the insurgents control much of the country, and are still capable of launching deadly attacks on civilians.
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