WASHINGTON, October 9 – Novosti. Representatives of the United States and the Afghan Taliban * (which is under UN sanctions for terrorism) held their first meeting on Saturday after the liquidation in Kabul of the leader of the international terrorist group Al-Qaeda * (banned in Russia) Ayman al-Zawahiri, CNN reports . citing two sources.
According to them, the meeting in the capital of Qatar, Doha , was attended by the Deputy Director of the CIA and a senior State Department official in charge of the Afghan direction. The Taliban delegation included the head of their intelligence service.
“The presence of CIA Deputy Director David Cohen and (Abdulhak) Vazik of the Taliban* at Saturday’s meeting indicates that the focus was on counter-terrorism issues,” the channel said.
The parties have not met since a U.S. drone took down al-Zawahiri in the Afghan capital in late July, who led al-Qaeda** after the death of Osama bin Laden .
* The organization is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.
** Terrorist organization banned in Russia.
