Failed Pakistan-Taliban Talks Expose Regional Instability Threatening American Interests

The recent collapse of negotiations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban over maintaining a fragile ceasefire lays bare a dangerous cycle of distrust and unchecked terrorism that threatens regional peace—and by extension, America's national security. Can We Afford Continued Chaos on America's Southern Frontlines? For three days in Istanbul, representatives from Islamabad and the Taliban-led Afghan regime failed to reach any meaningful agreement. This failure comes on the heels of some of the deadliest clashes along the Durand Line—the contentious border dividing Pakistan and Afghanistan—which claimed dozens of civilian lives. Despite mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey, longstanding tensions erupted...