US envoy visits Qatar in bid to convince Taliban to halt offensive, as Pentagon says 'not much' America can do to help Afghan government

After group captures 7 of 34 provincial capitals, US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tells insurgents a military takeover of Kabul would guarantee international isolation

Zebulon Simentov endured Soviet invasion, civil war, Taliban rule and the US takeover, but now he says the dangers are too great and it is time to leave

President says the 2001 terror attacks can't justify the continued presence of soldiers in the country after 20 years of conflict

Some local authorities say Husam Abd al-Rauf shot dead during raid on Taliban outpost last week, providing few details; incident complicates US efforts to withdraw from country

Discussions are latest in a flurry of diplomatic activity by the Trump administration ahead of the US presidential election in November

Transcript of phone call from Afghan militant group says Mullah Baradar urged the US president to 'take determined actions in regards to the withdrawal of foreign forces'

News comes as Pompeo, Esper meet with Afghanistan's president Ashraf Ghani; could lead to withdrawals of American troops

Taliban claims attack in southern Kandahar province that will likely derail peace talks between Washington and jihadist group

Unpopular overseas, the US president must deal with numerous global trouble spot as he struggles with a likely impeachment trial in the Senate and conducts a reelection campaign