8th Round U.S. and Taliban negotiatons Aug 2019 in Doha, Qatar:

U.S.  Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo stated that Zalmai Khalilzad’s trip to Kabul has started and after a meeting with Afghan Officials on the ninth round of Peace Talks, he shall depart to Qatar for meeting with Taliban representatives. In Kabul, he will consult with the leadership of the Afghan government on the peace process and encourage full preparation for intra-Afghan negotiations. Additional travel has not been finalized, the statement added.

Negotiations this time will focus on three key issues: the mechanism of Taliban prisoners release, a decision on whether to keep US intelligence in Afghanistan after a peace deal and at what level of leadership the peace deal between the two sides should be signed. The US negotiators pressed for a withdrawal stretched over 18-24 months while the Taliban softened their demand to nine to 12 months. It was reported that some 5,000 US troops will be withdrawn in 135 days from five bases in Afghanistan. (20190822)

Background:
The US and Taliban representatives have been negotiating since October 12, 2018 in Doha, capital of Qatar to strike a peace deal and end the 18 years' war in Afghanistan