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| Afghanistan |
| Afghanistan Planning Second Round of Talks with Ex-Taliban |
| 2008-10-25 |
| Afghanistan's foreign minister says a second round of talks is likely with former top officials of the fundamentalist Taliban. VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports from Kabul that U.S. and NATO officials are giving conditional support to such discussions between the Afghan government and insurgents. During a news conference in Kabul, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, was asked to comment on reports that a continuation of Saudi mediated talks held last month will take place soon in Dubai. The foreign minister says no place or time has been set for further discussions, but the unofficial delegation that held talks in Saudi Arabia will work out the logistics with the Saudis. Spanta added that it is the government's responsibility to pursue such talks. But Kabul and the Taliban have emphasized that such meetings should not be construed as peace talks. In recent months, various top military officials and diplomats have stated that peace cannot be achieved in Afghanistan solely on the battlefield. The Afghan government says it is willing to negotiate with the Taliban if they recognize the country's constitution, lay down their weapons and join the political process. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Patrick Moon, while visiting Kabul, expressed optimism the insurgents might accept those conditions. "The Taliban does not pose a strategic threat to the government of Afghanistan," said Moon. "They do not offer a vision or a future for the people of Afghanistan. So it is reasonable to expect that you could have a Taliban which decides that their future lies with what the government is offering." |
| Posted by:Fred |