Intel: Qatar to represent US diplomatic interests in Afghanistan

Qatar will act as the formal diplomatic messenger between Afghanistan's Taliban leaders and Washington.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks following talks on the situation in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks following talks on the situation in Afghanistan at the State Department in Washington, DC, on Aug. 30, 2021. The United States embarked on a "new" chapter regarding Afghanistan and shifted its diplomatic operations to Qatar, Blinken said, as he expressed commitment to helping every American who wants to leave the war-weary nation. - JONATHAN ERNST/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Elizabeth Hagedorn headshot (new)
Elizabeth Hagedorn
@ElizHagedorn

Qatar will formally represent US diplomatic interests in Afghanistan and help facilitate Washington’s engagement with the country’s new Islamist rulers, Secretary of State Blinken announced on Friday. 

The tiny Gulf country will act as the “protecting power” for the United States in Afghanistan under an agreement signed Friday in Washington by Blinken and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. 

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