Pompeo spent the day meeting privately with both leaders, first separately and then together, before leaving the country less than nine hours after he landed. There was no immediate indication from U.S. or Afghan officials as to how much progress his efforts had made.

But the secretary’s sudden trip from Washington, even with the novel coronavirus upending life in the United States and consuming its government, was a dramatic indicator of U.S. officials’ growing alarm at the lengthening political stalemate here — both for its potential to erupt into a violent civil conflict and to undermine the peace process.

The agreement signed Feb. 29 between U.S. and Taliban officials was expected to allow thousands of U.S. troops to begin leaving Afghanistan soon and to pave the way for negotiations between Taliban and Afghan leaders on a shared government in the future. Instead, both plans have bogged down, and no date has been set for the talks.

“Unless this crisis gets resolved and resolved soon, it could affect the peace process, …continued .
[Source: Washington Post]