Afghanistan's Bonn Conference: 4 things you need to know

On Dec. 5, leaders from Afghanistan, NATO, and neighboring countries will meet in Bonn, Germany, to discuss the future of Afghanistan after US troops withdraw.

4. Pakistan says it won’t attend. Why is that important?

Faisal Mahmood/Reuters
Supporters of Mutahida Qabail Party (MQP) stand on the NATO flag during a protest rally in Islamabad, Pakistan on Tuesday.

Following a NATO airstrike that killed – inadvertently, the US says – some 24 Pakistani soldiers on the eastern border of Afghanistan, Pakistani officials have said they plan to boycott the Bonn Conference. This could have major implications as reconciliation with the insurgency will likely be a prominent topic of conversation at the Bonn Conference. With many insurgent havens located inside Pakistan, the country could play a critical role in mediating potential talks. Without its participation at the Bonn Conference, talks with the Taliban will be markedly more difficult. 

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