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Trump Discusses Afghan Peace Deal With Top Taliban Leader

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone Tuesday with a
   top leader of the Taliban insurgency about the landmark peace deal the
   two sides recently signed in Qatar that aims to end a nearly
   19-year-old war in Afghanistan, America's longest.

   A Taliban readout of what it asserted was a 35-minute phone call said
   its deputy chief, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, assured Trump the
   insurgent group would seek "positive future bilateral relations" with
   Washington after all U.S. and coalition troops withdraw from the
   country under the agreement they signed Saturday.

   Trump later told reporters at the White House that he "had a very good
   conversation" with the Taliban leader. Baradar is based in Doha, the
   Qatari capital, where he signed the historic deal with U.S. chief
   negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad last week.

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