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Kabul Demands Lead Role in Taliban Talks

Afghanistan wants no foreign influence in negotiations

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 26, 2011 2:02 PM CST

(Newser) – Afghanistan today told foreign powers to take a back seat in talks with the Taliban and let Kabul lead the way, Reuters reports. Afghanistan's High Peace Council put its foot down after the US, Qatar, and Germany secretly set up an office for the Taliban in Qatar to continue negotiations. “Afghans must be in the lead in the talks,” an Afghan rep tells the AP. Afghanistan also wants the Taliban to sever ties with al-Qaeda and enact human rights reforms before talks continue.

The council will consent to the Qatar office, however, and approves the US giving up Guantanamo Bay prisoners for Taliban concessions. "In fact we have been demanding this for a while," an Afghan official says. "These are Afghan prisoners." The council also wants Pakistan's support because members of the Taliban reside there. The tensions between Washington and President Hamid Karzai highlight the difficulty of reaching a settlement with the Taliban before the West is scheduled to pull out most of its troops in 2014.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks after visiting victims wounded in Tuesday's suicide bomb attack at the Emergency Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011. (AP Photo/S. Sabawoon, pool)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 2 of 7 comments

myviewpoint

Dec 26, 2011 7:25 PM CST

Can you really trust a man in a hot dog vendor hat? This guy is going to sell what he can to the highest bidder. We may have security issues arising there, BUT, ask Putin if the cost is worth the effort...NO....it is not ! Leave them alone and get the heck out of there unless it becomes a direct threat and then do whatevver is necessary to deter that threat and move on.....please......

Rammrodd

Dec 26, 2011 2:56 PM CST

That's right, so back off, imperialist running dogs. Hamid Karzai is a powerful head of state who brooks no interference in his nation's affiars.

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Kabul Demands Lead Role in Taliban Talks

Afghanistan wants no foreign influence in negotiations

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Afghanistan • Taliban • Hamid Karzai • Taliban negotiations • Taliban peace talks

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