8am: Over the past five years, the United States has repeatedly stated that it does not recognize the Taliban regime in its current form and structure, and that establishing ties with the group, even on a limited scale, is not on its agenda. The Taliban, on the other hand, are eager for friendship with the United States and try to seize every opportunity to pave the way for the renewed presence in Afghanistan of a country they fought for twenty years to expel. Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, recently called for a US return to Afghanistan in interviews with Britain’s Financial Times and Japan’s Kyodo News, a return that would entail recognition of the Taliban regime, the reopening of the US embassy in Kabul, and Washington’s investment in various sectors, particularly mining. Senior Taliban officials have repeatedly called for relations with the United States before, but have so far been rebuffed. It appears that after seizing power, the Taliban have come to better appreciate American leverage, leverage that has prevented recognition of their regime. Taliban officials have repeatedly acknowledged that the key to recognition of their regime lies in Washington’s hands, and that efforts to secure recognition from other countries would not offer much of a way forward. Click here to read more (external link).