From the New York Times. Michael borrow this They did it over the weekend. United States appeared to have finally reached an agreement with the Taliban we begin to end America's longest warning war in Afghanistan. That agreement followed HANS of private negotiations in cutter between the two sides, with my colleague Jean Michel, about what he learned. From being there, It's Tuesday September. After the extraordinary sacrifice of blood and treasure the America

people are weary of war without Jerry. U S. Military and diplomatic leaders are moving ahead on the Afghanistan strategy. We are a partner and a friend, but we will not dictate to the afghan people how to live for a govern their own complex society. Afghan security forces are battling. A research and Taliban is launching attacks around the country. We are not nation, building again the U S and to tell about appear to be making progress towards a peace deal and Afghanistan. My administration is holding constructive talks with a number of afghan groups, including,

Taliban news that was coming out of Doha, which is where these talks are taking place, is that the framework is in place, as negotiators have agreed on a framework for a potential pact that could. Finally, in the seven two years after a coalition, choose the Taliban out of Taboo Washington's on void, reaching a tentative deal on a road map. We do not know whether will achieve an agreement, but we do know that after two decades of war, Our has come to at least try for peace and the other side. I would like to do the same thing. It's time Would you you ve been assigned to cover these landmark negotiations? I wonder if you could walk us through how you actually do that so for the past

Few months have been. Every few weeks have been gone to Doha. The small golf state of cutter in its an excruciating because there are a lot of tensions in the region and Saudi Arabia. There's a big blockade against other, so a trip there would take to three hours takes me a full day of travel through Istanbul to get there. But when we get there, the routine is largely similar. The american deplore stay in these serve luxury hotels, the Taliban, a lot of them have houses. There could have been baser a long time, but in the morning they all come to the small diplomatic club, happens is as soon as you walk in they take your phones away and you walk through scanners, and you know you put you know, Bush anything. You have through a scanner and is built four marble floor, small club, and members of the media. Were

barely allowed access to the diplomatic club, it's a lot of sort of cat and mouse sometimes were actually kicked out. Sometimes we may go away and we negotiate One of the american diplomats helps in until the other guys. It's ok for us to be there as long as stay in this corner. A cafe they go upstairs is more private space. Where the negotiations happen I usually just make my way to the cafe every time I take this same seated. The cafe, which has, view the lobby, so at least I have a view of when the sessions of ended who is walking around. I have a good feeling and then so my day is spent. You know doing password, puzzles reading a book ordering a lot of coffee after coffee and then sort of an eye for the negotiations routine. Still when they're gonna take their break and then I kind of trade and my bathroom break around their me. Naturally

into one of them in the lobby, it's a lot of reading faces alot of reading. You know mood. Is the chief negotiator any as he walks out our day in Austria in a corner the hands waving and are they angry at each other? Is somebody walk in our anger, but both sides have been really really discipline during these eight nine months. So it's tricky work trying to understand what actually going on upstairs closed doors on the american side, there's a lot more interaction and they engage with the medium but on the Taliban side, these you're surgeon leaders that we had only no names of four years. It's the first time were seen their faces is the first time were in the same space with them. Some of them is for the first time they're using phones in years because they were afraid of being. You know tracked down and hit by a drone. So it's in that car

text that one needs to rely on a lot of creative ways of creating comfort and creating trust, and sometimes that means lucky breaks. Also, I mean way for a cup. Knights in one of the rounds I happen to have a room just above the room of their chief negotiator. And at one of the other negotiators was leaving session. I said: hey you'll be great. If we could have a conversation and he said where you staying, and I told him the room number is it called that's just above from us so maybe I'll find you there and it was late in the evening I was typing and online the story, and there is knock on the door. And I was I, was in shorts and quickly put on a shirt but not a few, the buttons and I opened the door, It was one of the negotiators standing in the doorway with a plate of cookies in dried fruit, either I'm away from home.

You guys are away from home and one of our friends dropped off some cookies in and dried fruit, and I wanted to share out. I was surprised and as a well sir, come on in any came into the room and he sat in one of the couches and I for a second, I thought I can't tell this guy, I'm sorry, sir. I have two files. Tory New York is waiting a story this is where do you get an opportunity for a midnight conversation with one most senior leaders, the Taliban. When do when do you? Indeed, when you need an eye, so sizes my laptop and I sat down. And I noticed he was staring at the scene, as we are having this conversation and were so we're talking about. You know the political reality of Afghanistan. What these? Nicole It is mean for ending the war and he's. Megan eye contact accomplish arms that talk to him before he was totally fine.

Now is not make an eye contact during this conversation. He slowly. He saw you reached out a pillow. And he put it on my knees, because I was wearing shorts. Why, gentlemen, he said anything above the knees is private What are you men was? I was showing to my skin so for the next forty minutes so I'm holding this pill on my lap, covering my knees as we continue a serious conversation about the political future, Afghanistan. This is a shadowy movement

We don't know a lot about the leaders of these groups, and here is an opportunity to try to understand what do they think what are their feelings about stuff. So it's it as much been an education in trying to understand what context they're coming with two these talks in these negotiations. So let's talk about what these negotiations that you're trying so hard stand are actually about what exactly is being negotiated. Their income from amongst the most fundamental framework is this. There has to be an american troop withdrawal. There are about fourteen thousand America troops and a few thousand NATO allies in the country. Right now, the Taliban have said the cornerstone of a peace deal has to be the withdrawal of those foreign troops.

In return for thou. Withdraw the Americans are asking assurances from the Taliban dad do not harbour international terror groups like Al Qaeda again. The other thing that the Americans have gotten the Taliban to. Basically agree to is once a schedule for the withdrawal of american troops, as announced the Taliban will sit down. With other Afghans, including the country's government, to iron out the political future. After the- U S in this measure, presence the Taliban have all long said they would negotiate with the. U S. First, about the foreign occupation and then they will

when to talking about the political questions of what happens to the future of Afghanistan in that means, you know power sharing, dummies changes in the constitution. That means things like that. But what is important is all of those discussions will be happening, undertaking clock because the- who s withdrawal, would have started so in these negotiations started. The Taliban are saying we want you out in months and the? U S were saying, none are we need couple years at least three years or something like that? And then the Taliban are, they know we want jet and months and then the? U S had to bring military experts to the negotiating table. To actually explain to the Taliban. How logistically ending an eighteen year. Military presence simply cannot happen and matter of months, so It's been bargaining and negotiating

Time line we think they ve reached is about sixteen or fifteen months. Something like that, the? U S is willing to kind of give in to a shorter time line, because U S has domestic calculations? Also, President Trump wants out as fast as the tougher before these negotiations even started. Afghanistan is a total and complete disaster. What are we doing? President Trump always very open about his desire to leave out of Afghanistan. We ve wasted billions and billions of dollars and, more importantly, thousands and thousands of lives. So when you coming to that

Will you ve already telegraphed giving what the other side would be demanding before you even negotiated anything to the? U S actually gave up a good deal of its leverage at the very beginning of these negotiations, because President Trump said he wanted to get out there So perhaps my assumption here is wrong, that the United States has that much more level. Then the Taliban you're saying in fact these are kind of co equals in Doha inside these rooms, pretty much the? U S actually might be even more desperate for the steel and the Taliban, while they're back.

In response to covered nineteen people around the world are coming together to help one another in an unprecedented show of solidarity and resilience. Facebooks community help feature as making that easier from delivering groceries too birds to donating to a local fundraiser food. Pantry community help provides a place where you can offer or request support in your area. So if you need help or can offer it go to Facebook, dot com, slash covert support, that's facebook, dot com, sash covert support. So what is the tension in the region? patients machine if both sides really wanna deal? I think the most fundamental thing is that there is a deep level of mistrust from

size. So one of the reasons why these negotiations have dragged on for so long is partially. When you look at the history of the eighteen years, there are a bunch of other opportunities when the Taliban reached out and wanted and go. She had a settlement to the war and the. U S basically said no ethnic kept growing, more complicated, and now that the? U S is initiating these talks at harbour, sitting down that his trees. In the back of the Talibans mind saying how could we, trusted. You are serious about a deal and that you're not using talks to undermine us and the same. On the other hand, for the american negotiators. The question is whether these These are people who are allied with Al Qaeda. These are people who still carrying out suicide bombings. These are the same people, so that creates a lot of mistrust for the Americans. Also, most fundamental thing is: there's a mystery,

both sides, and that means every were their negotiating over everything is negotiated in person. This Kirsten reviewed and way, it happens is that they have the text of the agreement on the screen right and every time they go through a sentence and they agree to it. The color of that text changes, I think, from red to black, but then somebody says something else the next day That sentence it. They had decree to changes color again, it goes back, read in it right or is it that kind of environment of mistrust then makes this process so complicated and then there are issues like when the was asked the Taliban to break away from terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. The Taliban, turn that into an emotional discussion say what do you mean by terrorists? He, because for you we could be terrorists for us, you could be terrorists, let's discuss a definition of what is tat

tourism, so you're sitting around the table going add things like that These four hours and some Negotiations go to like to like two to thirty in the morning. The senior laying out, as is pre stunning, the dynamics because. When you think of the military power represented in that room, the United States, what its military is and this kind of ragtag group of Taliban fighters and what you're saying is, for all intents and purposes the power dynamics here over the question of Afghanistan's future, is equalized, absolutely it's kind of emotional on both sides, also women a walk into that room On the one hand, you ve got these Taliban leaders back half of the delegation across from them, spend you know at least a decade in prison chief negotiator spent ten years and pakistani prison. He was tortured, he's an

add shape than another five or six simum spend about a decade in you. Detention in Guantanamo. Across from them, you ve got you american envoys? Thirty forty years of diplomatic experience, his former. Ass to the? U N to Iraq, Afghanistan. Next to him, you know military generals in uniform, HU, a lot of them rose through the ranks. In this war in all got their stars who lost friends who have lost colleagues in this war. Each one of them have served several tours Afghanistan now sitting to negotiate. The end of a war they couldn't win. It is very clear: they couldn't win and in the past few weeks is gonna become clear that the military is dragging its feet its partially concern about what threats might remain in Afghanistan after a deal Taliban, but is actually partially

most also that a deal would mean they lost this war. You said earlier that the steel is just the first step that the Wes and the Taliban have to reach an agreement to end this war before Afghanistan, as a country can start to figure out. What is going to look like moving forward. How have the two sides been talking about that next step? these negotiations. How is the Taliban been talking about it? There are very vague and I'd think deliberate. Vague. They say we want basic rights for women according to Islam, We want freedom of press as This is a line with islamic values, but the people contrast their statements to the way they actually exercise power

a Taliban though, when it ruled it was a fundamentalist theocracy. That did not allow women to go to school. That did not allow women to work the band music, that ban television, that band free media, and that's why they're sceptical, and what about the? U S, representatives that you talk to their does: seem like their prioritizing: the interests of Afghans and the preservation of Denmark. Either they are being as vague. They are saying a lot of these issues of what the future society look like. What the power sharing look like what the values will look like. Are discussions between Afghans? They are basically trying to prioritize. And their costly military presence here, but there are hoping to do it in a way where it could be linked.

To maintaining some of the current freedoms and liveries girls it occasion women's rights to basic freedoms, free press. All of that is fragile. And all of that is new, and all of that has been to a large extent dependent on support from the. U S, but they're, leaving the discussions on ah of those basic freedoms and liberties to the next stage of the process when it's only after negotiating what Afghans and fear Is that once those discussions arrive? The? U S, love Ridge and, by extension, the leverage of the Afghan democratic system has supported would have been reduced in the face a Taliban that will see the? U S, withdraw the victory

So when we get to the next stage of negotiations, one side that is pour it by the. U S will be weakened the other side that is far off the? U S: dress forced the! U S into withdrawal will be in this sort of rush. Victory. It will not be an equal negotiation in this debate between two clashing visions. If society of governance, the side that is so dependent on the? U S, Feels like the? U S is caving in to the Taliban demands. And they don't know what the limits of the? U S, compromise the Taliban is their partners

in this new way of life might be abandoning them. Thank you, but you lace. Michael on Monday afternoon, the chief- U S boy to Afghanistan said that the? U S head in principle, finalized in agreement with the Taliban under the plan, five thousand four hundred troops would pull out of Afghanistan, within one hundred thirty five days marking the star of a gradual withdrawal of all fourteen thousand. U S, troops that could end the war present Trump

must still sign off on the agreement, would lay back. This path cast is supported by Disney Television studios which produces award winning in culture. Defining programming for all platforms, including little fires, everywhere homeland pose this. Is us modern family Jimmy him alive how to get away with murder blackish the politician and so much more Disney television studios comprises Twentieth Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox twenty one, television studios, television Academy, members be sure to check out details. Awards come now to watch over fifty Emmy eligible series for consideration in all categories. Here's what else you need to know probably most saddening worst day of my life to address the famous people, We are facing a higher.

Darwin that one we ve never seen in the history of promise on Monday Working Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas as a devastating category. Four storm with winds in storm searched that killed at least five people what neighbourhood with roofs of buildings and turned homes into piles brain disease by night came from. That's has twenty, so this is what I haven't. Even worse position to my this improved unusually destructive because It's slow movement across the island, where it lingered for nearly twenty four hours and because

many in the Bahamas, stayed in their homes? Oh, my God Angie the window a baby, please someone please come help us in the: U S where the storm is expected to arrive later today, Evacuation orders affecting more than a million people, have been issued in at least three states Florida Georgia, in South Carolina as forecasters trying to predict precisely where it will make landfall and, this story. The reserve you won't have to Oh Please say that the Texas Gunman, who used an our fifteen style, assault rifle to kill at least seven people and in twenty two others over the weekend had just

and fired from his job as a trucker cars hang on Vehicle what hast thou into the city, why the man seemed to fire indiscriminately at pedestrians, motorists and police officers throughout two towns, inland and Odessa before he was old, by authorities No multiple, Is it the times report that the matter should two hundred and eighty throughout this year and the second in Texas in a month will increase pressure on Congress to bring forward gone safety legislation when it turns to Washington next week.

That is for the daily. When see tomorrow. As a surgeon and president of Howard, University, Doktor Wayne Frederick, believes even are tough. His times can to strength and change, this is a difficult stormy do it, but it was strengthened in a way that no classroom activity could ever have. I'm only shipper host of the past have made all the difference I talked to achievers, about how their managing the current moment and charging a course for the future find that made the difference anywhere. You get your podcast created by Bank of America