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| Afghanistan | |||
| Karzai says speaks to Taliban every day: report | |||
| 2012-02-24 | |||
| CANBERRA (Reuters) - Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai said his government talks to the Taliban every day through intermediaries, according to an interview by Australia's SBS television for broadcast on Tuesday. "We talk to the Taliban every day. We were talking to them just a few days ago somewhere around this region," Karzai said in an interview taped a week ago in Kabul with SBS, adding his contact with the group's one-eyed leader Mullah Omar was through indirect means. "(But) not personally," Karzai said when asked if he had spoken with Omar. "I mean not directly, person to person. But through intermediaries, yes." Karzai and many Western analysts say the reclusive leader is based in the Pakistani city of Quetta.
"It's no longer Afghanistan that's the subject of conversation, or the issue. It's Pakistan as well. It's peace in Pakistan as well. It's stability in Pakistan as well," he said. The interview was recorded before Karzai's visit to Islamabad last week, where he upset Pakistan by asking for access to Afghan Taliban leaders belonging to the so-called Quetta Shura, or leadership council, named after the Pakistani city where it is said to be based. Afghans have always been suspicious of Pakistani intentions because of historical ties between Pakistani intelligence and insurgent groups like the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan has consistently denied the existence of the Quetta Shura. Karzai said despite the history, he is also keen to work together with Islamabad to help advance peace talks with the Taliban. "We as the Afghan people and government are willing to help Pakistan work for peace in Afghanistan and work for peace in Pakistan, together," Karzai said in fluent English. Karzai added that Afghanistan was making progress on security in the eleventh year of a costly war, local and foreign support for which is souring.
"I don't think the Taliban will ever come back to take Afghanistan, no," he said. "Two years ago I would have been uncertain and unwilling to give you an answer as firm as I do today. The Afghan people will not go back to the nothing of 10 years ago."
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 or perhaps he has confused Taliban with "bat chains"? this being where he is at? |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2012-02-24 18:44 |
| #3 |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2012-02-24 18:24 |
| #2 Well, where did you think his orders were coming from? |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2012-02-24 11:42 |
| #1 "We talk to the Taliban every day |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2012-02-24 10:47 |