[An Nahar] Afghanistan's Caped President Hamid Maybe I'll join the TalibanKarzai
... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a
Pashtunface on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use...
asked Pakistain on Monday to help arrange peace talks between his government and Taliban Death Eaters, and called for a joint campaign against extremism in both countries.
Karzai was visiting Islamabad to hold his first talks with newly elected Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
, despite a series of public rows that have hampered efforts to end 12 years of war in Afghanistan.
Kabul was infuriated by the opening in June of a Taliban office in Qatar, considered a precursor towards talks with U.S. officials. He now wants Pakistain to help open dialogue with the militia, which has publicly refused all contact with his government.
Elements of the Pak state are widely accused of funding, controlling and sheltering the Taliban. Islamabad says publicly it will do anything to stop the fighting in Afghanistan.
Karzai said Afghanistan expected Pakistain to provide opportunities or a platform for talks between the Afghan High Peace Council -- Kabul's official negotiators -- and the Taliban.
"We hope with this on top of our agenda we can move forward in bringing stability and peace to both countries," he told news hounds.
In the past, the Afghan leader has identified Taliban havens in Pakistain as the main cause of increased violence in his country.
On Monday he acknowledged that the "continued menace of terrorism" was a primary concern for people in Pakistain, where thousands have been killed in the last decade, as well as in Afghanistan.
"It is this area that needs to have primary and focused attention by both governments," Karzai said.
"It is with hope on this that I have come to Pakistain... to advance the course of action together... but also by having a common campaign against extremism, (to) make sure that the two countries are safer and prosperous towards a secure future."
Sharif wished Afghanistan well in the transition from NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization....
to Afghan security control and reiterated support for peace and reconciliation to be "Afghan-owned and Afghan-led".
"I assured President Karzai that Pakistain will continue to extend all possible facilitation to the international community's efforts for the realization of this noble goal," he said.
"I also reaffirmed Pakistain's strong and sincere support for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan."
But there are question marks over what Pakistain can deliver. Analysts say it can encourage and provide logistical support for Taliban peace talks, but cannot force them to negotiate against their will.
The Taliban have publicly refused to have any contact with Karzai's government, branding it a puppet of the United States.