Karzai praises change in US Taleban policy

AFGHAN president Hamid Karzai yesterday welcomed remarks from the Obama administration saying that Taleban insurgents were not America’s enemies.

Earlier this month, American vice president Joe Biden said in an interview with Newsweek magazine that the Islamist militants did not represent a threat to US interests unless they continued to shelter al-Qaeda.

Biden’s comments came amid reports that the Obama administration and other governments are trying to establish a peace process with the Taleban to help end the ten-year war.

“I am very happy that the American government has announced that the Taleban are not their enemies,” Karzai said in a speech to the Afghan Academy of Sciences. “We hope that this message will help the Afghans reach peace and stability.”

A senior US official said that Washington plans to continue a series of secret meetings with Taleban representatives in Europe and the Persian Gulf region next year. The US outreach this year had progressed to the point that there was active discussion of two steps the Taleban seeks as precursors to negotiations, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Trust-building measures under discussion involve setting up a Taleban headquarters office and the release from the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, of about five Afghan prisoners believed affiliated to the Taleban.

On Tuesday last week, Karzai said his government would accept the Taleban establishing a liaison office in Turkey, Qatar or Saudi Arabia for the purpose of holding peace talks.

The announcement marks a significant step forward in the current Afghan government’s relationship with the Taleban.