Karzai willing to try for Taliban peace talks
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said today he will talk to Taliban heads in an attempt to broker a peace if he gets backing from the West.
Mr Karzai said that “sections of the international community” had undermined previous peace overtures by harassing mediators “even though they had quit the insurgency.”
In his first comments since President Barack Obama announced 30,000 US troop reinforcements for the country, Mr Karzai said that the target to begin troop withdrawals would give an “impetus and a boost” for Afghans to work toward taking control of their own nation.
“We must talk to the Taliban as an Afghan necessity. The fight against terrorism and extremism cannot be won by fighting alone,” Mr Karzai said, adding that he would be willing to talk with Taliban chief Mullah Omar.
“Personally, I would definitely talk to Mullah Omar,” he added. “Whatever it takes to bring peace to Afghanistan, I, as the Afghan president, will do it. But I am also aware that it cannot be done by me alone without the backing of the international community.”
Mr Karzai offered to talk with Mullah Omar soon after the Taliban was thrown out in the invasion of 2001, but he backed off under US pressure. Since then he has offered to talk with Taliban members who were willing to quit the insurgency.
Mullah Omar disappeared after the collapse of the Taliban regime and has been rumoured to be living in Pakistan, a charge the Pakistani government denies.
