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Karzai offers security to Mullah Omar
Kabul—Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday
he would guarantee security for Taliban leader Mullah Omar if he
ever wanted to negotiate and said Western allies should remove him
or leave if they disagreed with that.
With the Taliban insurgency spreading seven years after the
hardliner Islamists were forced from power, the possibility of talks
with more moderate Taliban leaders is increasingly being considered,
both in Afghanistan and among its allies.
The Afghan government said it is willing to talk to anyone who
recognizes the constitution.
A tentative first step towards talks was taken in September when a
group of pro-government Afghan officials and former Taliban
officials met in Saudi Arabia for discussions on how to end the
conflict.
But the Taliban rejected any suggestion of talks as long as foreign
troops remain. Karzai told a news conference he would guarantee the
safety of notorious Taliban leader Mullah Omar, if he ever wanted to
talk peace.
“If I hear from him that he is willing to come to Afghanistan or to
negotiate for peace ... I, as the president of Afghanistan, will go
to any length providing protection,” Karzai said.
“If I say I want protection for Mullah Omar, the international
community has two choices: remove me or leave if they disagree,” he
said. The Taliban Islamic Movement in Afghanistan has rejected the
offer of talks to Mulla Omar by Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
Zabih Ullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman on Sunday while reacting to
the talks offer by Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai said no
talks with anyone until and until foreign forces remain in
Afghanistan.
“Our policy regarding talks will not be changed”, he cleared.
Earlier, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai addressing a press
conference on Sunday in Kabal invited Mulla Omar to talks to end
bloodshed in the war hit country.—Agencies
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