IEA rejects ‘rumors’ of meeting with US

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rejects claims that a meeting will be held between IEA members and senior US officials in Doha, the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement late Saturday.

“Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan rejects rumors that Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar Akhund would meet with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and David Samuel Cohen, the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to discuss some issues in Doha,” said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the ministry’s spokesperson.

The ministry also advised media outlets against reporting on fake news.

“Publishing baseless information creates confusion among people and the media should also prove their commitment to their principles and not publish baseless reports,” Balkhi tweeted.

The comments came after a number of local and foreign media outlets reported on a planned meeting between high-ranking officials of the IEA and the US and other delegations in Qatar.

According to reports that emerged this week, the meeting was to happen during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar at the end of November and that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister, would participate.