Afghan peace process

Just as in 2014, there is a sense of anxiety bordering on panic about the impending U.S. withdrawal.

Stalled out peace talks have shattered hopes of a safe return home for millions of Afghans who fled abroad.

“With the return of the Taliban, society will be transformed and ruined… Women will be sent into hiding.”

"The partnership is changing, but the partnership itself is enduring,” Blinken said during his unannounced visit to Afghanistan.

A Taliban spokesman said the group was not ready to attend the conference the U.S. and the Afghan government had hoped to start on April 16.

If peace is achieved soon, Afghanistan can face the future with optimism.

The one-day conference last week is part of a larger effort by regional powers to make peace between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Most Afghans will have difficulty recovering from a failed peace process in which they and their government have invested so much hope.

A few districts in some provinces were not surveyed due to high levels of violence and instability.

Both the Afghan government and the Taliban need to demonstrate a seriousness of purpose in finding a solution to a long-running conflict.

The High Council for National Reconciliation will have the final say on whether the Afghan government signs a possible deal struck with the Taliban.

The Taliban delegation, led by their political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, will discuss with Pakistan's leaders the "recent developments in Afghanistan's peace process.”