Exclusive in tomorrow’s @Telegraph.
Britain has started secret face-to-face talks with the Taliban.
Simon Glass, chair of Joint Intel Committee, met Taliban in Doha. Intel officials also met them in Kabul.
(Reporting with @rmendick, @benfarmerDT, @DomNicholls)
Britain has started secret face-to-face talks with the Taliban.
Simon Glass, chair of Joint Intel Committee, met Taliban in Doha. Intel officials also met them in Kabul.
(Reporting with @rmendick, @benfarmerDT, @DomNicholls)
** Sorry this should read Gass, not Glass. Clumsy thumbs.
Gass is one of the most senior intelligence figures in the UK government. Joint Intel Committee gives ministers intel assessments.
Recently Gass was appointed the PM’s special representative for Afghan transition. We understand he met Taliban figures in recent days in Doha.
Recently Gass was appointed the PM’s special representative for Afghan transition. We understand he met Taliban figures in recent days in Doha.
Downing Street spokesman confirms our reporting. Response below. Comes after CIA chief held talks with Taliban leaders. 
The Telegraph also understands British intel officials held talks with the Taliban in Kabul itself. So a second strand of talks beyond Gass’s conversations in Doha.
Also in our reporting tomorrow: The chief of MI6, Richard Moore, flew out to Pakistan for talks on Afghanistan last week.
He met with the head of Pakistan’s army. The meeting, remarkably, was made public by authorities in Islamabad.
He met with the head of Pakistan’s army. The meeting, remarkably, was made public by authorities in Islamabad.
Moore is understood not to have met the Taliban during his visit.
The Pakistan military said in a statement the meeting saw discussion of “matters of mutual and professional interests, intelligence/defence collaboration between both countries and overall regional security”.
The Pakistan military said in a statement the meeting saw discussion of “matters of mutual and professional interests, intelligence/defence collaboration between both countries and overall regional security”.
Our full piece is live over here: telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/3…
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