Tuesday, 18 June 2013
At last Us is going to talk to talban
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US-led troops have now handed over refuge countrywide
to Afghan military
The US is to open
direct peace talks with the Taliban, senior White House officials have
announced.
The first gathering is
due to take place in the coming days in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban have
just opened their first official overseas office.
Afghan leader Hamid
Karzai said his government is also sending a delegation to Qatar to talk to the
Taliban.
The declaration came
on the day Nato handed over security for the whole of Afghanistan to government
forces.
US officials said
prisoner exchanges would be one topic for discussion with the Taliban, but the
first weeks will mainly be used to explore each other's agendas.
However, the talks are
on condition that the Taliban renounce fighting, break ties with al-Qaeda and
respect the Afghan establishment - including the rights of women and
minorities.
US officials said this
was the first step on a very long road, adding that there was no guarantee of
success.
Although senior US
officials describe the newest move as a milestone on the road to peace, others
will feel it is nearer to treason, says BBC North America Editor Mark Mardell.
'Puppets
of the US'
On Tuesday, the
Taliban issued a statement saying that one of the main aims of their Doha
office was "to meet Afghans".
The statement said
they would also make contact with UN, regional and international organisations
as well as non-governmental institutions.
After opening the
"political bureau" in Doha alongside Qatari officials, Taliban
representative Mohammed Naeem told reporters the group wanted good relations
with Afghanistan's neighbouring countries.
In the past, the
Taliban have always refused to meet President Karzai or his government,
dismissing them as puppets of the US.
President Hamid
Karzai: "For the people of Afghanistan this is a great day"
In Afghanistan itself
on Tuesday, Nato handed over security for the whole of the country to the
government for the first time since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.
At a ceremony in
Kabul, President Hamid Karzai said that from Wednesday "our own security and
military forces will lead all the security activities".
The ceremony saw the
Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) hand over control of
the last 95 districts in a transition process that began in 2011.
International troops
are to remain in Afghanistan until the end of 2014, providing military back-up
when needed.
President Karzai has
expressed anger at previous US and Qatari efforts to kick-start the peace
process without properly consulting his government, reports the BBC's Bilal
Sarwary from Kabul.
There is also concern
within the presidential palace that the Taliban will use the office in Qatar to
raise funds, adds our correspondent.
The US has previously
tried to negotiate with the Taliban, but never held direct talks.
In March 2012 the
Taliban said it had suspended preliminary negotiations with Washington, citing
US efforts to involve the Afghan government as a key stumbling block.
The Taliban set up a
diplomatic presence in Qatar in January 2012 and US officials held preliminary
discussions there.
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