Taliban official’s appointment in Qatar failed, but they have no reason to go back home.
In 2013 their leaders assigned them to open an office in Doha and begin exploratory peace talks with the US government. Even though the meetings soon broke off, the Taliban negotiators and their families stayed on as honored guests of the emir and his people.
In fact, each of the five Taliban terrorists has been allowed to invite over five families from Afghanistan, bringing the number of Taliban households in Qatar close to 35.
All these families are now living extremely comfortable lives in posh areas guarded by a brigade of security forces.
All their expenses are being catered for. Qatar is very rich with its people having one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
Oil was discovered in the country in the 1940s, bringing wealth to the country in the 1950s and 1960s. About 85% of Qatar’s income from exports comes from oil.
There are however some poor Afghans living in Qatar. The arrangement to have a group of Talibans in Qatar under posh upkeep does not go down well with this group of poor people. Some have long memories of beatings or imprisonments they endured when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan.
The Taliban representatives’ stay in Qatar seems null now that their mission failed. In the two years they’ve been in the monarchy, they have made a single deal, which was to swap U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl for five Guantanamo prisoners.
