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Taliban React to Karzai's Words
One Taliban spokesperson who had preconditioned the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan said the Taliban are ready to hold talks with President Karzai. President Karzai, among senior NATO and government officials, as well as ethnic leaders in Kandahar, addressed the Taliban Sunday and said the militants should free themselves from the foreigners' "captivity" as himself. President Karzai once again suggested that the Taliban lay down their weapons and join the Afghan government. "In fact, President Karzai wants to say that Americans are not good friends, they are half-way friends," said an Afghan political analyst, Wahid Mujdah. Wahid Mujdah further added that President Karzai in the "meantime wants to tell the Taliban that I'm not with the Americans, so come and reconcile with me and we will take some measures together." Based on the latest poll by the BBC, 10 percent of the people support the Taliban overall in Afghanistan. Kandahar's ethnic leaders urged President Karzai to double efforts to bring security to this province and to provide working facilities for them. These comments come as the presidential office issued a statement that said President Karzai, in his visit to Kandahar, met with the residents of this province to remove challenges they are trying to tackle. Posted by: Fred 2010-04-07 |
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