Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reports that the interim Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, has begun negotiations with Taliban officials in several parts of the southeastern province. The negotiations are being conducted by senior government officials, Abd al-Rahman Hotak and provincial governor Hafiz Allah, the Pakistan-based AIP private news service said.
| AIP's reliability makes DEBKA at its worst look like a preferred source... |
"We have started negotiations because the Karzai government believes in resolving problems through peaceful dialogue," Hotak was quoted as telling the AIP. Hotak made no reference to the current military bombings and deployments.
| The gummint being forced to negotiate with the Talibs is one of the Bad Guys' fondest fantasies. I'd suspect that any negotiations are directed toward breaking off a few chunks of the Talibs — though I've been wrong enough times before not to count on that. |
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