peace talks with Taliban?

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US to join direct peace talks with Taliban over Afghanistan

'Peace and reconciliation' milestone comes after US drops request for formal rejection of al-Qaida as precondition to talks

The US is to open direct talks with Taliban leaders within days, it was revealed on Tuesday, after Washington agreed to drop a series of preconditions that have previously held back negotiations over the future of Afghanistan.

In a major milestone in the 12-year-old war, political representatives of the Taliban will shortly meet Afghan and US officials in Doha, Qatar, to discuss an agenda for what US officials called "peace and reconciliation" before further talks take place with Afghan government representatives soon after.

Senior US administration officials speaking on background said they believed the Taliban had agreed to issue a statement committing itself to "oppose the use of Afghan soil to threaten other countries" – an important first step to severing ties with al-Qaida, according to Washington. A Taliban statement confirmed that it was opening an office in Doha, and wanted "good relations" with other countries.

The US has agreed that a formal rejection of al-Qaida by the Taliban leadership would now be a "negotiating aim" rather than a precondition for talks. It will also seek a commitment from the Taliban to end its insurgency in Afghanistan and recognise women's rights in the country.

"This is an important first step but it will be a long road," said one senior US official. "We have long said this conflict won't be won on the battlefield which is why we support the opening of this [Doha] office."

White House officials say they believe the Taliban delegation at the talks represents the movement's leadership, and includes more radical groups such as the Haqqani network. Officials said the US would have a direct role in the talks starting starting this week in Doha, but the substantive negotiations over the future of Afghanistan would then be led by the Afghan government.

"The core of this process is not going to be US/Taliban talks – we can help the process – but the core is going to be among Afghans," added the US official. "The level of trust is extremely low so this is not going to be easy."

A Taliban spokesman said that it was opening the Doha office to "reach understanding and initiate talks with countries of the world for the purpose of improving relations with them" and to support a peaceful, political solution to end the "occupation of Afghanistan".

The proposal for a Doha office has been on the table since 2011, and several senior Taliban figures have been living in Qatar for many months now, but the group had not publicly embraced plans for peace talks.

In Kabul, Afghan president Hamid Karzai said a delegation from the High Peace Council would travel to Qatar to discuss peace talks with the Taliban. "We hope that our brothers the Taliban also understand that the process will move to our country soon," he added, although US officials stressed that moving talks to Afghanistan would take time.

Karzai also announced that Afghan forces would begin taking the lead from the Americans on domestic security on Tuesday, with a complete security transition by the end of next year when US forces are due to pull out.

Barack Obama is understood to have informed G8 leaders of the breakthrough at a dinner at the Northern Ireland summit on Monday night.

The deal on talks with the Taliban was partly brokered by Pakistan and the emir of Qatar after "months of diplomatic spadework" also involving Germany, Norway and the UK. In 2011, Hillary Clinton suggested that Taliban leaders would have to renounce violence for a peace process to work.

"Over the past two years, we have laid out our unambiguous red lines for reconciliation with the insurgents: They must renounce violence; they must abandon their alliance with al-Qaida; and they must abide by the constitution of Afghanistan," she said. "Those are necessary outcomes of any negotiation. This is the price for reaching a political resolution and bringing an end to the military actions that are targeting their leadership and decimating their ranks."

But on Tuesday, that position appeared to have soften somewhat. "We don't expect them to break ties with al-Qaida [immediately]," said one of the US officials speaking on an off-the-record conference call. "That is an outcome of the process." He said the expected Taliban statement opposing the use of Afghan soil for foreign attacks was "a first step in distancing them from international terrorism".

The news comes on the day Nato handed formal responsibility for Afghan security to the country's own troops and police, although foreign soldiers are still fighting in many areas. The Taliban have long demanded that foreign troops leave as a precondition to talks.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who has always said he would prefer talks to take place in Afghanistan, was initially lukewarm about the Qatar plans, but has visited the state twice this year, apparently paving the way for today's breakthrough.





Nato soldiers stand with US flag after a security handover ceremony at a military academy outside Kabul on Tuesday.


[www.guardian.co.uk]

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Kulbir Singh
It is quite possible that the Taliban will take over the country in the next coming years. Let's hope that they don't repeat their ill-treatment of women this time.

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I am all for world peace and calling truce with foes, but when it comes to such monsters who are barbaric towards anyone who doesn't follow their way of life, then I am not sure how long such a peace would last? And all this after 12 years of bloodshed and millions of innocent lives lost!

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Whether we like it or not, the fact that the Americans are in talks with the Taliban, is a proof that the Taliban Tanzeem has won this war. Why else would the Americans agree to talk to Taliban?

The treatment of women in the hands of Taliban is despicable and there are many other faults in these people but the fact remains that these Afghan people have defeated 3 world superpowers starting with British in the 1800s and Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s and finally the Americans now.

It is quite possible that the Taliban will take over the country in the next coming years. Let's hope that they don't repeat their ill-treatment of women this time.

The end of war in Afghanistan is a bad news for India. There is a high chance that Kashmir will become focus for the relieved fighters now and the Baaniya military of India is not capable of fighting off this threat. Sikhs are no longer employed in high percentage as in the past. Who will fight these veteran and war-hardened Taliban fighters, in India? Baaniyas? Bhaiyaas? All this is a bad news for India. Rest Guru Sahib knows better.


Kulbir Singh

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The British were defeated by Afghans who were largely Sikhs.

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The USSR was defeated by Taliban which was highly supported by the US.

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The point is that the Afghan Pashtun people are very brave people and I believe that in a hand to hand combat only the Sikhs can match them (or better them). Americans or Europeans can never face them in such battle. Arabs even worse...

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There were no Sikhs fighting as Afghans against the British. Where did you get this misunderstanding from?

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Since the time of Pehli Paatshah there has been a huge populaation of Afghan Sikhs. Even the maryada on doing Bhog on DEgh originates from Afghanistan at the request of a Muslim convert . Afghan Sikhs are very proud of being Sikh and proud of being Afghan, and they have right to be. There is such a thing as a strong Sikh community outside of the ordinary Punjabi Sikh community. At one time Sri Lanka had a vibrant Sikh community but now its no more. Afgnan community lasted for a very long time and were present during Biritish colonoialism and they played a crucial role fighting against the British.

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The Taliban and Pushtan people are two different people.

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Truth be told only Americans and the British have the spine to fight against Muslim extremist.

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Kulbir Singh
Another truth is that the American and British are partly responsible for the rise Islamic extremism by meddling in their affairs. Who created the Mujahidin in Afghanistan? Americans. They left the country without proper closure and this resulted in rise of fundamentalism and too many fundamentalists with too many weapons and nothing to do. So they started creating trouble. God knows what more destruction this rise of Islamic terrorism will bring to this world.

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All Taliban are Pashtun people but all Pashtuns are not Taliban. Taliban is a political or a religious movement whereas Pashtun is an ethnic race. Gandhari the mother of Duryodhana, the villain of Mahabharata, was a Pashtun princess.

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I think there is a misunderstanding between Pushtan people and Taliban. Its true that Taliban come from the era when Afghanistan was in combat with USSR, and a majority of the Taliban were originally of Pushtan decent.

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After their victory there became divisions, and one of these divisions were the Taliban.

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Tribal wars amongst these different groups began. Taliban suported Wahabai thinking and were highly funded by Saudi Arabia. The Taliban fought against many Pushtan tribes.

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For the most part the Pushtan people subsricibe to Hanafi school of thought which is a legit Islamic school; however, the Taliban subscribe to Wahabism which was created by the Saudis and is not recognized by a majority of the Muslims.

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Kulbir Singh
Indian army is now mostly Baaniya and non-combat quoms who will run away at the first sight of tough Pashtun and Baloch army.

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Sagg
Sirf Khalistan Jindabad de nahre lagaa ke Khalistan nahi banan lagiyaa, all have to contribute in one or another way.

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Ahhhh Ghazwa-E-Hind!!! Didn't know Bhai Kulbir Singh jee was also a Zaid Hamid fan!!! Are you Bhai Sahib jee???

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Kulbir Singh
So Bhai India da hunn Rabb hee Raakha hai.

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In any case, I hope that they Taliban and all such parties stay confined to Afghanistan and leave us (rest of the world) alone. But this is wishful thinking. These fellows are not going to sit idle and will certainly try to take over Pakistan and eventually India. Many of our Mahapurakhs have predicted that prior to Khalsa Raj, an army from Kabul side will take over Delhi and the fight that will ensue will lead to Khalsa Raj. Dr Surinder Singh jee used to say that when the army from Kabul will march to Delhi, they will commit incredible massacres along the GT road. Countless will die.

If you look at Dr Surinder Singh jee's and many other such predicitions, and then examine the Gazwa-e-Hind prediction that Muslims are waiting for, it seems likely that something of this sort will happen. Another fact that makes this likely to happen is that the Indian army is now mostly Baaniya and non-combat quoms who will run away at the first sight of tough Pashtun and Baloch army. Guru Sahib Kirpa karan.

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Taliban don't subscribe to Wahabism but are Deobandi. Deobandi is a brand of Islam (part of Hanafi school) founded in Deoband (near Saharanpur, India). It was founded in India in the 1800s and is still the most sophisticated Islamic university in the world. To the outside eye, both Wahabism and Deobandism seem to be similar but in reality there are subtle differences between the two e.g. Deobandis believe in collective Dua (prayer) after Nimaaz, led by an Imam but Wahabis don't. Having said that, they are very similar. Deobandi/Wahabi are opposed by the Barelvis, the majority of Muslims in India and Pakistan but now Deobandis are taking over

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Taliban does subscribe to Wahabism and they were originally funded by the Saudis. Taliban is not just Pushtan people as Bin laden is a prime example. The Taliban brainswashed by Wahabism in the Pakistan Madrasas which again were funded by the Saudis.

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Sukhdeep
Extreme Islam ( Wahabism) which is practiced only by the Taliban , Saudis , and Pakis will not be able to spread throughout the world. Maybe in isolated places like Kashmir but for the most part it wont spread far.

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While this is not a forum to discuss the differences between different sects of Islam but I urge you to study the difference between Salafi (Wahabism) and Deobandi. Just because Saudis used to fund Taliban does not mean that Taliban became Wahabis and Bin Laden was not part of Talibans but was helped by them. Taliban organization is and was led by Deobandi thought and not Wahabi.

Saudis themselves are Salafi (Wahabism) but in order to check the Iranian influence, they started funding Deobandi Madrassas in Pakistan and this continued till there were enough Salafis in Pakistan. Then they stopped funding Deobandis and started funding Salafis.