In Afghanistan, A Mix Of Surprise And Relief After Trump Cancels Taliban Talks

When Aziz Rafiee heard that President Trump called off talks with the Taliban, he couldn't quite believe it. "My first question to myself was: What is really happening?" he says. Then Rafiee, who leads the Afghan Civil Society Forum in Kabul, says he felt a sense of relief.
And he says most of his friends also support Trump's decision.
The U.S. president's abrupt move over the weekend to scuttle a potential deal with the Taliban surprised many who had been following the multiple rounds of negotiations. It has also led to questions about what might come next.
As news of the canceled Camp David meeting spread, Rafiee's view of Trump's decision appeared to be shared by many Afghans, who have seen their government's top leaders reduced to spectators as negotiations have played out for nearly a year between U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban officials.
The talks had aimed for a deal that would see the U.S. carry out an initial withdrawal of more than a third of the 14,000 troops still in Afghanistan. In exchange, the Taliban were to promise they would not allow Afghanistan to be a base for global terrorist attacks.