Initial Taliban Talks Faltering

The Taliban sources said U.S. officials had earlier promised them they would exchange prisoners and later start peace talks.However, according to the sources, the U.S. demanded that the Taliban announce a ceasefire in Afghanistan before any prisoner swap, which they said their central leadership had turned down. From Here.

The opening up of a second negotiating front in Saudi Arabia is, in my opinion, nothing more than an attempt by the Afghan government to avoid being sidelined by their inept US/NATO mentors.