Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai will negotiate to share power with notorious warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, The Sunday Times of London reported. Without naming sources, the newspaper said Karzai, who is facing reelection this summer, will hold talks with the anti-American hardliner in the coming weeks in a bid to co-opt a main rival and bring his group, Hezb-i-Islami, into the government.
The Sunday Times reported Hezb-i-Islami will be offered several government ministries and provincial governorships in exchange for laying down its arms.
Hezb-i-Islami is regarded by the United States as a terrorist group and has been blamed for many attacks in Afghanistan’s eastern and central regions. The newspaper said Hekmatyar’s militia was implicated in last year’s massacre of 10 French soldiers in Sarobi.
Hekmatyar reportedly will not be offered a government post himself, but instead will be asked to go into exile in Saudi Arabia for three years. The Sunday Times said his name would then be removed from the U.S. government’s terrorist list.
i personally believe the legitimacy of Karzai Govt. (if there was any to begin with) has worn extremely thin to the point of non-existance. the would-be president is often referred to as the Mayor of Kabul in a reflection of how little of Afghanistan he actually controls.
Talks with Taliban in Afghanistan are inevitable, and would come to be whether we like it or not. Chances are Pakhtun majority would return to power after being toppled from power.
Hekmatyar however denies any such contact with Karzai and vows to continue struggle without any chance of talks until NATO/US vacate Afghanistan with an interim Govt. in place, which would then be replaced after the departure of Nato/US.
Hekmatyar denies offering unconditional talks to Karzai
Friday, March 09, 2007
Rahimullah Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: A statement attributed to former Afghan Mujahideen leader Gulbaddin Hekmatyar in which he reportedly made an unconditional offer for peace talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been denied.
His spokesman, Haroon Zarghoon, told The News that the Western television news service that used the interview only carried selected portions to give the impression as if Hekmatyar had changed his political stance. “This was done deliberately to malign the leader of Hezb-i-Islami. We strongly refute the statement and condemn such distortions,” he stressed.
The interview was widely carried by the print and electronic media on Thursday and was seen as politically significant. Analysts described it as a victory for President Karzai and a setback for all the Afghan groups fighting his government and the US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan.
But Haroon Zarghoon was quick to deny that Hekmatyar had changed his views about the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and was ready to shake hands with Karzai and close all channels of communication with the Taliban.
Speaking from an unknown local, he said Hekmatyar’s full statement contained the proviso that talks could be held with Karzai, once he demands and ensures the withdrawal of all foreign occupying forces from Afghanistan. “The said television news service carried only one part of Hekmatyar’s reply to the question. It reported that Hekmatyar was ready for talks with Karzai and deleted the portion in which he made it clear that this could happen once the foreign troops occupying our homeland start leaving in accordance with an agreed timetable,” he argued.
Haroon Zarghoon pointed out that Hekmatyar has repeatedly said that the Karzai regime was no real government as it was standing on the crutches of Western forces. “That has been the stand of Hekmatyar and Hezb-i-Islami and there has been no change in that,” he maintained.
The Hezb-i-Islami spokesman also explained the remarks attributed to Hekmatyar about his stance with regard to the Taliban. “Hekmatyar reminded that he had sought cooperation with the Taliban time and again for a joint struggle against the US-led occupying forces. He said he sent a number of delegations to Taliban leaders to fight our common enemy. Hekmatyar complained that he received no positive reply and was, therefore, stopping more contacts with the Taliban,” he said. But Haroon Zarghoon added that Hekmatyar had made it clear in the same interview that contacts with the Taliban ‘Jihad’ against the Western armies in Afghanistan. Hekmatyar denies offering unconditional talks to Karzai
Hekmatyar shouldn't come into power. He will destroy the country. He is a false man.
Did Karzai construct city of New York in Kabul or JFK airport in Qandahar? What good he brought to Afghanistan? The only thing Karzai did is to moan about his failures and blame it on Pakistan.