[ti:No Deal Announced as US, Taliban End Latest Talks] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.01]The latest talks between the Taliban and the United States ended early Monday without any sign of a peace deal for Afghanistan. [00:12.97]Both sides said they would talk to their leaders about the next move. [00:19.69]This was the eighth round of discussions between the sides. [00:26.34]A Taliban spokesman said last week that the talks would finish with a deal to end the nearly 18-year-long Afghan war. [00:38.00]The negotiators have been discussing an agreement that would require the U. S. military to withdraw from Afghanistan. [00:48.73]Under the agreement, the Taliban would promise not to use the country to launch terrorist attacks. [00:57.58]The latest talks began on August 3 in the Gulf nation of Qatar. [01:04.73]U.S. official Zalmay Khalilzad described the negotiations as "productive." [01:12.60]He said he was returning to Washington D.C. for meetings with U.S. officials. [01:20.15]Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called the discussions "long and useful." [01:27.95]But neither of the representatives offered details of the talks. [01:33.68]The Taliban has launched near-daily attacks across Afghanistan while negotiations with U.S. officials continue. [01:44.50]The attacks mainly target Afghan forces and government officials, but they also kill many civilians. [01:53.70]The U.S. government has pushed for a ceasefire and plans for inter-Afghan talks. [02:01.80]But the Taliban has refused to recognize the Afghan government, calling it a U.S. puppet. [02:10.02]On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani rejected foreign interference in his country. [02:18.52]The president is angry that he is not a full negotiating partner in the talks. [02:25.14]Ghani says the elections planned for September 28 will give the next government power to decide the country's future. [02:36.12]But Khalilzad wants a peace deal by September 1, weeks before the vote. [02:43.44]The Taliban says the elections are a sham. [02:47.52]The group has told Afghan citizens to avoid campaign events and has warned them not to vote. [02:55.39]Taliban forces control about 50 percent of the country. [03:00.87]The Taliban is the strongest it has been since the U.S.-led invasion ended its five-year government in 2001. [03:11.37]Former U.S. President George W. Bush ordered the invasion after the group aided al-Qaida. [03:20.24]More than 2,400 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan since then. [03:27.55]The United States and NATO forces officially ended combat operations in 2014. [03:35.94]However, around 20,000 U.S. and allied troops remain in the country. [03:42.88]Khalilzad wrote on Sunday that he hoped this year would be the last Eid al-Adha in which Afghanistan is at war. [03:53.68]The Muslim holiday began over the weekend. [03:57.46]The Taliban released a message that said it hoped future Eids would be without "occupation" in "peace and unity." [04:07.79]I'm Ashley Thompson. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM