US set to resume peace talks with the Taliban Marc Grossman, a US diplomat for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is expected to meet with the Afghan president in Kabul next week to confirm he would agree to the new talks, the official said. In December, diplomatic talks collapsed after Mr Karzai refused to allow a deal including a prisoner transfer between Guantanamo Bay and Qatar. A new deal could see Taliban insurgents opening a political office in the Gulf state but ultimately may lead to a deal where the group would gain shared control of Afghanistan. Taliban insurgents are keen to gain a base in Qatar to enable them to operate free from the glare of Pakistan; it is also seen as a neutral place where they can restart talks with the Afghan government. "There is an increasing number of Taliban who are tired of having the hell beat out of them," another official said. I think they want to stop. However, some may also want to continue the fight as there are bound to be fractures in the group, he added.