Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced that “the Afghanistan Peace Negotiations will commence in Doha” on 12 September. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the news and maintained that “only through an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led political process… can the parties achieve a durable peace”. He further called on “the negotiators to demonstrate the pragmatism, restraint and flexibility this process will require to succeed” and offered “support as requested”. “The U.S. recalls the commitment by the Afghan government and the Taliban that terrorists can never again use Afghan soil to threaten the U.S. or its allies”, Pompeo added.