Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan says he is encouraged by U.S. peace talks with Afghan Taliban insurgents…. that could pave the way for an end to the 17-year-old war.
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Aram… tell us more…

Well Mark…. Although Patrick Shanahan said he was encouraged by the talks, he said he had not yet been tasked with planning a full withdrawal of American troops.
He made the remarks in a brief exchange with reporters ahead of talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

SHANAHAN: "I'd say, really, the-, the-, the takeaway, right now: it's encouraging. And, we'll let Secretary Pompeo and the ambassador be the spokepersons for that."
REPORTER: "But, have you been tasked--, have you been tasked--?"
SHANAHAN: "All right, I'm going to run over here. All right?"
REPORTER: "Have you been tasked to prepare for a full withdrawal or no?"
SHANAHAN: "I have not."

Taliban officials said U.S. negotiators on Saturday agreed on a draft peace pact setting out the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan within 18 months.
U.S. officials say a timeline has not yet been discussed, but Shanahan those negotiations might happen sometime this week.
U.S. and Taliban officials have been holding talks in Qatar over the weekend to try and hammer out a deal.
The U.S. special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, says both sides have agreed in principle to the framework of a deal that could pave the way for peace talks in Kabul.
However no details have yet been announced.