What to Make of the Rare Meeting Between the Taliban’s Leader and Qatar's Prime Minister

Reported talks between the Taliban's reclusive supreme leader and Qatar could bring small changes to Afghanistan, but in the near term, the Taliban remain unlikely to significantly moderate the hard-line domestic policies fueling their international isolation. According to a May 31 Reuters report, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secretly met with the supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhunzada, in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on May 12 to discuss resolving tensions and key disputes between the Taliban and the international community. The United States is reportedly ''coordinating on all issues discussed'' and is continuing efforts to encourage further talks with the Taliban. The two sides reportedly discussed various issues of concern for the international community and particularly the West, including the Taliban's ban on older girls' education, restrictions on women's employment, and countering violent extremist groups in Afghanistan. The meeting is the first to have...