Qatar diplomat emphasizes engagement with Taliban at forum

By AYA BATRAWY
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar’s diplomatic point man for talks with the Taliban says countries should engage Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers, warning that isolation could lead to a wide-reaching security threat, as happened when al-Qaida used the country as a base to plot the 9/11 attacks. Qatar’s special envoy for counterterrorism said Tuesday he’s held frank conversations with the Taliban about the role of women in society, girls’ education and the importance of an inclusive government. Qatar’s policies and insights on Afghanistan are watched closely because the tiny gas-rich nation has played an outsized role in the war-torn country in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal.