US against name of Taliban office in Doha

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone last night and Wednesday morning with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai. He told the Afghan leader that "we do not recognize the name Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," the name the Taliban political office in Qatar carries, State Department Spokesperson Jennifer Psaki told reporters here. "He noted that the government of Qatar has taken steps today to ensure that the (Taliban) political office is in compliance with the conditions established by the government of Qatar for its operations," Psaki added. She continued that Kerry also noted the U.S. is "pleased" that the Qatari Foreign Ministry has issued a statement "clarifying that the name of the office is the Political Office of the Afghan Taliban and not the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and that it had the sign with the incorrect name in front of the door taken down." "The office must not be treated as or represent itself as an embassy or other office representing the Afghan Taliban as an emirate government or sovereign," she stressed. Psaki recalled that in January, U.S. President Barack Obama and Karzai "jointly called on the government of Qatar to facilitate an office in Doha for the purposes of negotiations between the Afghan High Peace Council and the authorized representative of the Taliban." "The U.S. supports the opening of the political office of the Afghan Taliban for this purpose," she added.