US Cancels Talks with Taliban Over Girls School Closure

By Staff, Agencies

The United States cancelled planned talks in Doha with the Taliban after the hardline group of Afghanistan shut girls secondary schools, US officials said.

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

"We have cancelled some of our engagements, including planned meetings in Doha around the Doha Forum, and made clear that we see this decision as a potential turning point in our engagement," the spokesperson said.

The Taliban, which seized power in August and is eager for international recognition, shut down girls’ schools this week just hours after reopening them.

"This decision by the Taliban, if it is not swiftly reversed, will profoundly harm the Afghan people, the country's prospects for economic growth, and the Taliban's ambition to improve their relations with the international community," the spokesperson said.