Taliban chief backs Afghan peace talks

[steven johnson]

Source: Sunday Times

THE TALIBAN leader, Mullah Omar, has given his approval for talks aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan and has allowed his representatives to attend Saudi-sponsored peace negotiations.

“Mullah Omar has given the green light to talks,” said one of the mediators, Abdullah Anas, a former friend of Osama Bin Laden who used to fight in Afghanistan but now lives in London.

The breakthrough emerged after President Barack Obama admitted that US-led forces are not winning the war in Afghanistan and called for negotiations with “moderate Taliban”.

...the brother of the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, who has been attending talks on his behalf. “I have been meeting with Taliban for the last five days and I can tell you Obama’s words have created enormous optimism,” said Qayum Karzai. “There is no other way left but talks. All sides know that more fighting is not the way.”



Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5908498.ece

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"Western officials now concede that it was a mistake to exclude the Taliban from peace talks in Bonn in 2001, which led to the formation of the Karzai government. "

"A project conceived in London has since seen clerics and other influential figures shuttling back and forth between Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Kabul."

"The key players include Abdullah Anas, an Algerian granted political asylum in Britain who was once close to Osama Bin Laden but now preaches moderation to young Muslims in British mosques. "

"Also heavily involved is Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, the Saudi intelligence chief. Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries to recognise the Taliban regime and retains good relations with both sides. "


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5908441.ece

[scarletwoman]

1. A rare bit of good news! Thank you for posting this.

"There is no other way left but talks." Indeed.

While I detest the Taliban's extreme misogyny, endless warfare does nothing to improve the lot of women, either.

I hope some progress toward peace comes of this.

sw

[Vattel]

2. Talks make sense

partly because in many Pashtun areas to win the heart and mind of the local leader is to win the hearts and minds of his followers. No policy aimed at turning the people against their leaders could possibly work.

[Hope And Change]

3. I agree.It seems to be often so.

[ohio2007]

4. ( while in other news ) Taliban ready to attack Kabul

The original thread bragging about quotes from Omar isn't exactly growing legs.
But of course, always consider the source of this article, it's a 'suspected' Pakistani news site;

KABUL: A top Taliban commander has said his fighters are poised and ready to attack Kabul and could strike virtually anywhere in the city.

It would be tempting to put this down to Taliban propaganda, except that one of Kabul’s top cops is saying the same thing.

‘We are working on a security strategy for the city and if we don’t get it right, they (Taliban) can attack at any minute, at any hour, any time,’ said Commander Muhammad Daud Amin, who in charge of securing Kabul district. Proof of the menacing threat came just last month when eight Taliban fighters, bristling with weapons and suicide vests, burst into three government buildings in the centre of Kabul. Police and security forces managed to kill all the attackers before they could detonate their vests, but 20 people were killed and dozens were wounded, a private TV channel reported.

Police went looking for the Taliban and they went after them inside.

We are convinced the Taliban wanted to hold ministry employees hostage, Amin said on Thursday. Meanwhile, in an interview with PBS television, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said any political reconciliation with elements of the Afghan insurgency must be under terms set by the Kabul Government.

He said most insurgencies eventually are resolved through a political settlement. And that there were some fanatical members of the Taliban that had no interest in reconciliation.


http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/news/world/taliban-ready-to-attack-kabul--zj

jmo
actions speak louder then words.

See what stories surrounding springtime in Kabul brings to the msm plate

[ohio2007]

5. Taliban threaten to kill aid workers as spies ( as instructed in their "constitution" )

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A top Taliban commander has issued a new threat to foreign aid workers, saying that under the insurgent group's new "constitution" they will execute them as spies or hold them in exchange for the release of Taliban fighters. In an exclusive telephone interview Friday night with CNN, Mohammed Ibrahim Hanafi said the Taliban intelligence wing was actively gathering information on foreign aid workers. "If we get someone, that is how we will deal with it under our new constitution," he said.

He added that he was telling "Afghan brothers not to work with NGOs."

In the 15-minute interview, arranged by an intermediary for CNN, Hanafi repeated the Taliban's pledge to keep girls out of public schools.

"Our law is still the same old law which was in place during our rule in Afghanistan," he said. "Mullah Mohammad Omar was our leader and he is still our head and leader and so we will follow the same law as before.

"In my opinion," he added, "Taliban aren't allowing girls to go to schools because Taliban want women to preserve their respect by staying in their homes, not to work as laborers for others."


snip

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/15/afghan.taliban.threat/index.html