Karzai offers Taliban talks
Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday offered peace talks with a resurgent Taliban after the bloodiest year since they were ousted in 2001 and amid warnings of a violent spring offensive.
He was speaking at a religious gathering in Kabul on one of the holiest days of the Shia Islamic calendar, but he did not specifically name the Taliban. While we are fighting for our honour, we still open the door for talks and negotiations with our enemy who is after our annihilation and is shedding our blood, he told the crowd at the main Shia religious compound in the capital. Karzai also said he prayed for the guidance of those who plotted against Afghanistan, referring to neighbouring Pakistan where he says the Taliban and their Islamic allies have sanctuaries.
Posted by: Fred 2007-01-30 |