Karzai wants US, Pakistan role in talks with Taliban

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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This is an interesting demand. Karzai has asked for Pakistan/US role in negotiations with Taliban otherwise the Americans are free to leave the country. Pakistani talks with taliban are off, therefore I dont see any Pakistani role in the negotiations.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1082619/afghan-us-deal-falters-as-karzai-demands-taliban-talks

KABUL: President Hamid Karzai on Saturday signalled that a deal to allow US troops to stay in Afghanistan was close to collapse as the Nato combat mission withdraws after a decade of fighting the Taliban.

Late last year, Karzai made a surprise decision not to promptly sign the bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the US, despite a “loya jirga” national assembly voting for him to do so.

Washington has become increasingly frustrated by Karzai’s manoeuvreing over the deal, stressing that negotiations were completed in November and that it is ready to sign the mutually agreed text.

“Afghanistan will absolutely not accept or sign anything under pressure,” Karzai told reporters in Kabul.

“If they want to leave, then they go and we will continue our lives… Our main condition is the practical start of peace process.”

The US had earlier pushed for the BSA to be signed by the end of October so that the Nato military coalition could schedule the withdrawal of its troops by the end of this year.

But the deadline has slipped as Karzai refused to sign and even suggested that his successor could make the final decision after presidential elections due on April 5.

Karzai on Saturday repeated that before he signs the BSA, the US must foster a genuine peace process with the Taliban militants and also stop military operations.

“The start of a peace process would mean that no foreigners can benefit from the continuation of war,” Karzai said.

About 58,000 Nato-led combat troops still in Afghanistan are due to leave by the end of 2014.

Washington is proposing about 10,000 US soldiers are deployed from 2015 to train and assist Afghan security forces in their battle against the Taliban militants.

A Taliban office in Qatar that opened last June was meant to lead to peace talks, but instead it enraged Karzai after it was styled as an embassy for a government-in-exile.

Afghan officials dismiss the possibility that the US may enact the “zero option” of a complete troop pull-out as it did in Iraq, which is currently suffering a surge in bloody sectarian violence.

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re: Karzai wants US, Pakistan role in talks with Taliban

Afghan President Karzai reiterates preconditions for inking BSA with U.S. - Xinhua | English.news.cn

KABUL, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday once against reiterated his preconditions for inking Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States, saying he will not sign the security pact unless the peace process begins and security is ensured in Afghanistan.

“We want to sign BSA with U.S. but in return we want peace and security for the people of Afghanistan,” Karzai told a press conference here.

“Before inking the security agreement, the peace process must begin,” the president added.

A traditional Loya Jirga, or grand assembly of tribal elders and notables, attended by 2,500 delegates from across the country last November endorsed the BSA and urged President Karzai to sign it before the end of 2013, a similar demand made by Washington.

Nevertheless, Karzai stated he will not sign the agreement unless and until the United States halt searching Afghan houses during military operations, support meaningful peace process with Taliban and ensure transparent elections slated for April 5 this year.

In reaction to the preconditions, Washington reportedly said that the United States does not have “magic wand” to overcome problems overnight.

The controversial BSA, if inked, would allow the United States to keep limited number of troops, reportedly 10,000, beyond 2014 pullout of NATO-led forces from the militancy-plagued country.

Karzai also said that both the United States and Pakistan can play significant role in bringing about peace in Afghanistan.

“Ensuring peace in Afghanistan is directly depending on America and Pakistan. If U.S. and Pakistan work honestly and cooperate honestly the peace will return in our country,” he said.

Afghan officials have been accusing Pakistan of supporting Taliban militants, a claim spurned by Islamabad as groundless.

“In return for inking BSA we want durable peace for our people; otherwise it would be better for them (foreign forces) to go,” the president noted.

“If security agreement inked but insecurity incidents exists and the country lives in anarchy, in this case BSA would be similar to Durand,” Karzai said, referring to the Durand Line agreement, inked between the then Afghan king Amir Abdul Rahman and the erstwhile British Empire in 1893, which separated part of Afghanistan from the country.

The president also rejected the concerns as a psychological war that his country would plunge into instability after the NATO-led forces withdrawal, saying Afghanistan has constitution, national security force and stable institutions which facilitate the country to go ahead.

Nevertheless, Karzai went on to say, “If American wants to remain our friend should behave as friend and not as rival.”

He also defended the release of prisoners from Bagram detention center run by the U.S. military, saying innocent people are put in Bagram prison and his government would not allow Bagram prison to become the prison of Afghans.

Meanwhile, Karzai said that the coming elections will be held as scheduled on April 5 this year, and the security forces will ensure security for the election process.

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Re: Karzai wants US, Pakistan role in talks with Taliban

Why not India?

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Re: Karzai wants US, Pakistan role in talks with Taliban

^ India has no leverage on Afghan taleban.

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Re: Karzai wants US, Pakistan role in talks with Taliban

Karzai is a confused guy he have no idea what to do after USA NATO withdrawl, he put Indians instead of Pakistanis to reconstruct bla bla bla and now he seeking us for a stability, a big joke

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Re: Karzai wants US, Pakistan role in talks with Taliban

I think, the demand of Karzai is valuable to talk with Taliban. Pakistan and USA both should to pay role in this deal to eliminate terrorism from many countries.