Talking terms: Qatar talks get another chance after deadlock

American officials met informally with Taliban negotiators and “floated some proposals” to begin peace dialogue.


Tahir Khan November 02, 2013

ISLAMABAD:


As the Obama administration is struggling to strike a security pact with Afghanistan that will allow thousands of American troops to stay beyond 2014, the US has revived efforts for talks with the Taliban.


A Taliban representative in Doha confirmed to The Express Tribune that American officials have met informally with their negotiators in Qatar and “floated some proposals” to begin a peace dialogue months after the Taliban closed their political office in the Gulf state.

Washington and the Taliban were set to begin “exploratory talks” in June, but the process was derailed after President Hamid Karzai raised a hue and cry over the Taliban white flag fluttering atop their political office and the display of the plaque “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”: the name used by Taliban during their 1996-2001 rule of the country.



Karzai had described the opening of the Taliban office as a “conspiracy by foreigners”, to install a parallel government in exile. Taliban had rejected Karzai’s notion and insisted that it was just a political office for negotiations. But Karzai, who had himself long been wanting to negotiate with the Taliban, was unimpressed, and his stance ultimately blocked the path of the long-awaited dialogue process. Karzai was, in fact, frustrated at their refusal to talk to his peace council and instead agreeing to dialogue with the US in Qatar.

The Taliban spokesperson in Qatar, Dr Muhammad Naeem, had indicated at the time of the office opening that, “Taliban will talk to all Afghan sides at a later stage”. Some of the Qatar-based Taliban representatives also had an informal meeting with Karzai peace council’s senior official Masoom Stanakzai in Dubai, weeks after the Qatar stalemate. Stanakzai had suggested some concessions if the Taliban showed flexibility on the issue of the flag and plaque, but it did not work and the deadlocked remained, a Taliban representative said.

US officials were anxious to end the deadlock, and they floated ideas to encourage the Taliban to speak to the Karzai-backed peace council. Taliban representatives said they are willing to talk through the Qatar office but first with the US, as they have certain issues to settle only with the Americans. They cite the end of the 12-year invasion as the top agenda and the release of some prisoners at the infamous Guantanamo detention centre as a trust-building measure.

“US officials have contacted Taliban negotiators in Qatar and suggested they accept the flag and plaque if the Taliban agree to talk to the Afghan High Peace Council,” a Taliban official in Doha said. “Our representatives have not agreed to the idea,” he said.

“The US has also sought help from some of its allies, including Germans and Norwegians, to convince the Taliban to show flexibility,” said the official, requesting not to be identified. Germans were the first to talk to Taliban’s top negotiator, Tayyeb Agha, close confidant of Mullah Omar.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, however, told The Express Tribune on Friday that he is unaware of the latest US interaction with Taliban representatives.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent appeal to the Taliban to join the intra-Afghan peace process has been welcomed by the Karzai-backed peace council who hoped the Taliban leaders will come up with a positive response. A peace council member, Habibullah Fauzi, says the council is hopeful for direct contact with the Taliban following Nawaz Sharif’s appeal. He added that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar can play a vital role in the peace process if he joins the Qatar talks.

Taliban officials have also confirmed that their negotiators now frequently visit Dubai to meet officials of other countries who prefer meetings in United Arab Emirates (UAE), rather than Qatar. The UAE has also become centre stage for former Taliban leaders who plan on launching an alternative political initiative, Afghans privy to the activities say.

A former Taliban minister and senior leader Mutasim Agha Jan, routinely travels to Dubai from Turkey to speed up efforts for his own political initiative and is encouraging other former leaders to join him, an erstwhile Taliban leader said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2013.

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