Will there ever be direct talks between Afghan government and Taliban? | Inside Story
From the cradle to the grave, it seems no one is safe from Afghanistan's endless war. Newborn babies, mothers and nurses were among 24 people killed when gunmen opened fire inside a Kabul maternity hospital on Tuesday. While 21 mourners at a funeral in Nangahar province were killed by an ISIL suicide bomber. President Ashraf Ghani responded by ordering the army to resume offensive operations against the Taliban. The armed group denies involvement, and its leaders say Ghani's announcement is a declaration of war. Has this dampened the prospect of direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban? Presenter: Bernard Smith Guests: Popal Habibi - Academic Researcher on Peacebuilding in Afghanistan Sultan Barakat - Professor of Conflict Resolution at the Doha Institute Kate Clark - Co-Director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network - Subscribe to our channel: aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #Afghanistan #InsideStory
