Message for Chicago: Taliban signal readiness for peace talks
But at the same time, they have asked Nato states to pull out from the country or else “they will be erased along with their terror”.
“The Islamic Emirate has left all military and political doors open. It wants to secure the rights of the Afghan nation through all possible ways,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement emailed to The Express Tribune on Sunday.
The statement denounced the United States for dilly-dallying on its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and accused Washington of insincerity in its efforts for peace dialogue.
“The Islamic Emirate views the invaders’ claims of finding a political solution as meaningless until they come out of their fluctuating unstable state,” he added.
In March, the Taliban called off talks with US officials in Qatar after accusing the US of reneging on its promises’. Though the Taliban did not list the ‘promises’, media reports claimed that the Taliban had demanded the release of some of their senior cadres from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.
The Taliban statement also welcomed as ‘grounded on realities’ the newly elected French President Francois Hollande’s announcment that his country would pull out its troops from Afghanistan by the year-end. It called upon other Nato states to follow suit and stop serving ‘America’s political interests’ in Afghanistan.
The statement cited a survey conducted in April by CBS News and New York Times which shows that 69% of Americans want their troops out of Afghanistan. It pointed out that war fatigue was on the rise in Nato states.
The United States and its allies had invaded Afghanistan following the 9/11 terror attacks after the ultra-orthodox Taliban regime refused to hand over al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in connection with the attacks.
The Taliban statement, citing the Central Intelligence Agency, said that all but at least 50 al Qaeda operatives have fled Afghanistan. Still, the US is reluctant to pull out its troops from the country, which shows that they wanted to colonise it, it added.
Earlier this month, US President barack Obama signed a strategic partnership agreement with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai – which by Taliban interpretation is permission for permanent US military presence in Afghanistan. The statement also held out an assurance to the international community that they would not allow their soil to be used by anyone as a springboard for terror attacks anywhere in the world.
“The Islamic Emirate once again declares that it holds no agenda of harming anyone nor will it let anyone harm other countries from the soil of Afghanistan,” it added.
The statement also accused Nato forces of blatant rights violations, killing innocent civilians in night raids and indiscriminate bombing raids, torturing Afghan prisoners in secret cells at their military bases, and raising mercenaries to malign the Taliban.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2012.
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We do not negotiate with the terrorists.
It will be good for Taliban to join electoral politics in Afghanistan.
'The Taliban statement, citing the Central Intelligence Agency, said that all but at least 50 al Qaeda operatives have fled Afghanistan'.
Any guesses where?
@BruteForce - what you are referring to is a very high possibility but factually there is no other option than bring taliban on negotiation table. 11 years war didn't win any thing may be USA and other negotiating stakeholders including Pakistan may get some thing from discussion / negotiation.
Taleban is now playing carrot and stick policy with NATO and also issued a clear cut warning to US to leave or else- -- . What a turn-around of the events with US yet again being forced to eat a humble pie ?
"But at the same time, they have asked Nato states to pull out from the country or else “they will be erased along with their terror”."
They're merely making an attempt at trying to make it look like they're dominant in the process. It's like a handshake. If it's an alpha contest one will try to be dominant and then other will probably grab their elbow in response to come out on top. The downside for the Taliban making the attempt is, it's the bigger whole in the talks that would lead to the conclusion of who is dominant. The Taliban already lost it because the talks aren't new. It was already NATO's terms. So in reality, the Taliban has the role of caving but talking big to retain pride.
This should be a sign for NATO states and Russia to get together and bomb the he'll out of all areas where these vermin reside and distribute the wins between themselves.
Once the Mujahideen have won over the US, their ideology will target neighboring Countries, more specifically Pakistan.
If we go back to the 1990s, when the Taliban was formed and even before that when the Mujahideen had defeated the Soviet Union in an insurgency, the radicalization increased many folds in Pakistan. The same is going to repeat this time. But, I don't know if there is space for more radicalization in Pakistan. This radicalization will seal the deal in making Pakistan follow an isolationist path.
Now that the Taliban is coming to the negotiating table without coaxing by Pakistan, the leverage reduces further.
Pakistan needs to realistically assess its strength and weaknesses and devise a pragmatic foreign policy towards US and India. The bluff and bluster has been carried as far as it could have.
If Pakistan chooses to have a policy of peace, trade and dignity towards India it will benefit citizens of both countries immensely. But the jihadi infrastructure directed towards India would have to be visibly dismantled for that to occur. Talks of thousand years war and Kashmir leke rahenge would also have to stop. All politicians are talking the good talk but overt support for the likes of Hafiz Saeed and DPC makes Indians wonder whether the talk wil translate into action.