Angry Taliban members shut down their Qatar office on the heels of a dispute about a sign they hung labeling the building as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The office was supposed to be peace talk headquarters — a place for Taliban members and Afghanistan forces, and even American military officials, to gather and discuss an end to conflicts. It opened a month ago for that purpose.
But it quickly became a point of controversy. In addition to the sign, the Taliban hung a white flag — the same white flag that flew during the militant group’s five-year rule in Afghanistan, The Associated Press reported. It was the U.S. invasion in 2001 that toppled that rule.
Officials familiar with the peace talk process in Qatar said the office has been temporarily closed, but they could not say when it would reopen.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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