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Afghanistan
Afghan Peace Council Urges Opening of Taliban Office in Turkey
2011-04-13
[Tolo News] The Afghan High Peace Council has proposed a Taliban Office be hosted in Turkey to serve as a contact point for peace discussions.

Discussion are going on and Turkey has already expressed cooperation to host a Taliban office, the Council said.

Deputy Chair of the High Peace Council, Maulawi Attaullah Ludin, said Turkey is expected to host a Taliban office and also provide an office for the High Peace Council in Turkey.

"Head of the Peace Council Burhanuddin Rabbani
... the legitimate president of Afghanistan...
has been in contact with the Afghan government on this and discussion are also going on in Turkey and we hope the office will soon be opened," Mr Ludin said.

According to the officials in the Peace Council some other countries including Germany, Iran, Soddy Arabia and United Arab Emirates have expressed cooperation to host similar offices to facilitate peace talks with the Taliban.

Meanwhile,
...back at the cheese factory, all the pieces finally fell together in Fluffy's mind...
some Afghan human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
and civil society organisations believe that host a Taliban office in any country would mean official recognition of the group.

"As soon as they have offices in Turkey and Europe or any other countries, they will turn into a political opposition of the Afghan government and will no longer be referred to as terrorists," Aziz Rafiee, Head of Afghanistan Civil Society Forum in Kabul, said.

Ajmal Baluch, a member of Afghan Transitional Justice Coordination Group, also believe hosting a Taliban office will mean recognition of the group.

The Transitional Justice Coordination Group has previously called on the Afghan government and international community not to ignore the Afghan people and the victims of war in any talks.

"If Turkey hosts a Taliban office, it will not mean anything else but officially recognising the Taliban and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," Mr Baluch said.

The Afghan High Peace Council believes 50% of challenges for peace talks will be resolved after the Taliban office is opened in Turkey.

While it is believed that peace talks should be held in Afghanistan, the High Peace Council says there is no guarantee for the safety of the Taliban in the country and that there has to be an office outside Afghanistan.

The Council says it expects to hold its first face to face talks with the Taliban representatives in Turkey.
Posted by:Fred

#2  "Afghan Peace Council Urges Opening of Taliban Office in Turkey"

I'll go you one better - send ALL the Talibunnies to Turkey, lock, stock and barrel.

I'm sure they'd get on famously.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2011-04-13 13:27  

#1  
"These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate."
George W. Bush, Statement To Joint Session Of Congress September 20th 2001


The original objective of "Operation Infinite Justice" was the destruction of the Taliban, as punishment for their support of the 9/11 attacks.

At the end of this "High Peace Council" road is a humiliating defeat for the West, especially for the US as it was a high fatality attack on the CONUS that started this war.

It is true that non-negotiated, consequences be damned, precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan would signal defeat. But it would be an implicit defeat only.
The West would be spared the humiliation of having to subsidize, to protect and kowtow to a renewed Taliban regime, created by the "High Peace Council."

Out of all the terrible options, immediate withdrawal is the least terrible.
Posted by: Gerthudion Ebbolush5314   2011-04-13 00:59  

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