Taliban want 'lion’s share of power' in peace deal – U.S. special envoy

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad listens to a video question from U.S. Representative Susan Wild (D-PA) as he testifies about the potential withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan at a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. May 18, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The Taliban are demanding in U.S.-backed peace talks “the lion’s share of power” in any political settlement, U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said on Tuesday.

"At this point, they are demanding that they take the lion's share of power in the next government given the military situation as they see it," Khalilzad told the Aspen Security Forum in an online conference.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; editing by Jonathan Oatis)