( CNN ) -- The Taliban have met with U.S. officials to discuss possible peace talks , but do not want to negotiate with Afghan President Hamid Karzai 's government , a Taliban spokesman said Tuesday . The spokesman 's comments , rejecting a key American condition , could potentially derail American efforts for Afghans to reach a negotiated end to the decade-long war . In an e-mail response to questions from CNN , Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied previous reports that the Taliban had been invited to meet with the Karzai government in Saudi Arabia , saying that talks with what he called a `` puppet '' government would be pointless . `` We have never been asked to attend talks with Karzai administration officials in Saudi Arabia , but even if we are asked to attend , we wo n't because ( the ) Karzai government is a puppet and unauthorized , and meeting with them will not be beneficial in solving the issue , '' Mujahid wrote in a message from an e-mail account regularly used by the Taliban to issue statements . The spokesman , in answers that he said had taken some time to consider , said the Taliban wants direct discussions with the Americans . `` The issue is ... who is powerful and has got the power to make a decision , and who has n't , and everyone around the world knows that the one who has got the authority in opposition to the Mujahideen ( the Taliban ) is America , '' he wrote . The e-mail also contained the Taliban 's first open recognition that they have met with U.S. officials in Qatar -- talks that senior American officials also confirmed . The talks with the Taliban are aimed at establishing what the senior U.S. officials called `` confidence-building measures '' to lay the groundwork for negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban , with the United States possibly serving in a mediation role . U.S. officials have been trying to jump-start peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials through discussions over the past year . The nascent process has been marred by dissatisfaction from Afghan government officials that they were not included at the start . Karzai 's advisers have complained that U.S. officials were going behind Kabul 's back in talking to the Taliban . After initially opposing U.S.-Taliban talks , Karzai has since given his blessing , paving the way for a meeting last month between U.S. envoy Marc Grossman and Taliban representatives in Doha , Qatar , senior U.S. officials said . The Taliban 's demand to talk with U.S. officials and not the Karzai administration could throw a wrench in the U.S. State Department 's demand that all talks be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned . Another meeting between U.S. officials and Taliban representatives could happen this month , the senior U.S. officials said . The officials said the likelihood of reaching a deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban is slim . The talks could sow discord in the Taliban ranks , between those who want to negotiate and those who do n't , the senior U.S. officials said . On Tuesday , Mujahid said that the Taliban sought confidence-building measures from the Americans for talks to proceed . `` The trust-building phase is totally up to Americans , '' the spokesman wrote , `` and they have to take measures and our conditions are as follows : Exchange of Guantanamo prisoners , the establishment of political office ( in Qatar ) , removing the sanction lists of the UN ( against Taliban figures ) . '' American demands for the Taliban include requiring them to renounce terrorism and to distance themselves from al Qaeda , senior U.S. officials said . Taliban representatives seemed organized , professional and willing to meet those demands during the Qatar talks , according to the senior U.S. officials . CNN 's Elise Labott contributed to this report .
NEW : Senior U.S. officials : The United States and the Taliban will hold new talks this week . A Taliban spokesman says they will not negotiate with Afghanistan 's ` ` puppet '' government . Zabiullah Mujahid writes in an e - mail that the Taliban wants direct talks with Americans . The rejection of a key American diplomat could derail negotiating efforts .