Afghan officials deny being in talks with Taliban leaders
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KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan officials on Wednesday denied being in regular talks with Taliban leaders, in response to a report based on documents showing the intelligence chief speaks by telephone with militant leaders nearly every day.
National Security Adviser Mohammed Haneef Atmar issued a statement saying the Afghan government seeks peace but that all negotiations are handled by the High Peace Council. Atmar did not respond to questions sent by email before the story was published, which his office requested when he was first contacted for comment.
In a separate statement, Afghanistan's intelligence service denied its chief had contacts with Taliban leaders.
