Afghan President urges Taliban to end violence & talk directly to his govt

The announcement came after Taliban claimed responsibility for a Kabul attack last week that killed a U.S. soldier and 11 other people.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has said that Americans have the most to lose from cancelling peace negotiations that sought to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan.

U.S. diplomats have been talking with Taliban representatives for months seeking to agree to a plan to withdraw thousands of American troops in exchange for security guarantees by the Taliban.