US cancels talks with Taliban in Doha over school closures for Afghan youth

Young men returned to their ranks in Kabul but were sent home a few hours later – Agence France-Presse

US officials said the United States has canceled scheduled discussions in Doha with the Taliban after radical Islamist leaders in Afghanistan closed women’s secondary schools.

“On Tuesday, we joined millions of Afghan families in expressing our deep disappointment with the Taliban’s decision not to allow women and girls to return to secondary school,” a State Department spokesperson said.

He added, “We have canceled some of our commitments, including meetings planned in Doha amid the Doha Forum, and have made it clear that we see this decision as a potential turning point in our commitment.”

The Taliban, which took power in August and is seeking international recognition, closed girls’ schools this week, just hours after they reopened after being closed for seven months.

“This decision, if not reversed quickly, will severely harm the Afghan people, the country’s economic growth prospects and the Taliban’s ambition to improve their relations with the international community,” the spokeswoman said.

“We support Afghan girls and their families, who see education as a way to develop the full potential of Afghanistan’s society and economy,” she continued.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, Norway and the United States, as well as the High Representative of the European Union, said the Taliban’s decision would affect their aspirations for recognition.

The decision to keep schools closed to girls came after a Tuesday night meeting of top officials in the southern city of Kandahar, the movement’s de facto powerhouse.