Afghan President Offers Taliban Leader Safety Deal

Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered Sunday to provide security for the Taliban's reclusive leader if he agrees to enter peace talks, and suggested that the U.S. and other Western nations could leave the country or oust him if they disagree.

Karzai's comments come as international political and military leaders are increasingly mulling whether negotiating with the Taliban is necessary as the insurgency gains sway in large areas of Afghanistan.

Karzai has long supported drawing the Islamist militia into the political mainstream on the condition that they accept the country's constitution.

"If I say I want protection for Mullah Omar, the international community has two choices, remove me or leave if they disagree," Karzai said in an hourlong news conference in Kabul.

"If I am removed in the cause of peace for Afghanistan by force by them, than I will be very happy. If they disagree, they can leave. But we are not in that stage yet," Karzai said.

Omar is a leader of the Afghan Taliban and headed the government toppled by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Since then, he has been in hiding but is believed to be running the insurgency.

Previously, Karzai has said that Omar lives in neighboring Pakistan, an allegation dismissed by Pakistani officials.

Seven years after the invasion, record levels of violence are afflicting Afghanistan, where the number of insurgent attacks are up by 30 percent compared to 2007. The Taliban are present in large parts of Afghanistan's south and east and are increasingly encroaching on Kabul, the capital.

In September, Taliban members met with Afghan and Pakistani officials during a dinner hosted by Saudi Arabia's king, but there were no concrete results from the meeting.

"If I hear from (Mullah Omar) that he is willing to come to Afghanistan or to negotiate for peace and for the well-being of the Afghans so that our children are not killed anymore, I as a president of Afghanistan will go to any length to provide protection," Karzai said.

Omar has not directly responded to these calls, but spokesmen associated with the Taliban have previously said their participation in any talks depends on the withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops from the country.

Karzai dismissed that, saying foreign troops are necessary for Afghanistan's security.

Comments

[Carolab]

Pakistan closes NATO's supply line into Afghanistan 16 Nov 2008 Pakistan has closed the Torkham border crossing in the Khyber tribal agency resulting in temporary suspension of NATO's primary supply line into Afghanistan. The closure has suspended movement of fuel tankers and food trucks to NATO and US-led forces in Afghanistan for security reasons, media reports said here today.

http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/0/06BA9FB50C2C70786525750300442B4C

[Carolab]

Do you think Pakistan is going to get the $10.5 B they asked for now?

[vietveter]

In September, Taliban members met with Afghan and Pakistani officials during a dinner hosted by Saudi Arabia's king

Now that is what is called a

"Target Rich Environment"

[dfranz]

Afghanistan is not a country that can be changed with military might. Ask Russia about that. I think our latest blunders of bombing civillians has the effect of turning the people against the Karzai government & the USA. It is a country caught in the 15th century. The idea that Karzai represents all Afghans is ridiculous as most of the country live in remote areas where the Taliban are the religous leaders and looked up to by the people. The only way to change the country is for the Taliban to be brought into the process and then change can come from within. Diplomacy and negotiation will make more progress than bombs ever could.

[mcantwell]

Here's an idea....... every country should settle their own religious wars.

[watchingthings]

If the Taliban are winning....why would they want to make deals with Karzai? Somethings not right in this story.

[Carolab]

Pakistan wants money for "military defense"....

[whatsgoingon]

remember the troops had mullah omar surrounded when karzi took over and somhow he managed to get away. Now karzi wants to give the country back to him, how far away omar's buddy?

[flamflurm]

Karzai is doing the only rational thing. He'll soon be left twisting by the US and so he's trying to stay alive.

[ftprairiedog]

Karzai should load his car with money and head for the border, or he will find his head will be on a pike

[BigHeadTodd]

His "deal" offering is about as effective as saying "Dear Water: Do you have to be so wet?"

[Alethia]

Karzai's statement of support for negotiations with the Taliban illustrates the ever-changing kaleidoscope of variables present in the region.

One variable is the crucial role of Pakistan. Its support for this war on the Taliban and Al Qaeda is an important key (a glass key at that) to achieve a resolution to the conflict.

And President-elect Obama is right on the mark - a formal peace between India and Pakistan (resolution of the Kashmir conflict) is absolutely essential to the defense of the whole region (and indeed the world) against the terrorists.

[flamflurm]

...and therefore we can abandon everyone else over there. Great.

[Mahi Joe]

The problem in negotiating a peace with Pakistan is trying to figure out who is in charge there. The ISI has become so powerful that it is not answerable to the Pakistani government nor the military and it has been known to support the Taliban's interests. there are three seperate entities vying for power in Pakistan. The Government, ISI and the mililtary. Who do you trust is the question.

[omicronian8]

Let's look on the bright side:
If they ever make a movie about this, he could easily be played by Ben Kingsley.

[Antifascist-08]

I suppose it might be prudent to try a different approach with Afghanistan considering we have botched it so bably to this point, but the whole Afghan way of life is NOT going to fit in with any plans of "victory' or restructuring their way of life.
Its a real conundrum, but my guess is that we will have to leave there just as every other country has who has tried to tame the war lords and the opium trade. This is a cultural mismatch.
It is our current hope to catch Bin laden, but the ship has probably sailed on this strategy.
Pakistan is the key to all of this, but even with them on board through a new diplomatic strategy, we are probably no closer to "stabilizing" Afghanistan than we were 6 years ago. A fine mess, an opportunity lost though innaction and ineptitude.
My prediction: Obama will try to use some new diplomatic tactics, but we will leave because it is our "best option." I hope i am wrong but I would hate to lose any more lives trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

[breezyholler]

Bush and Cheney have destroyed any creditability the US military machine may have had...the ratio between the numbers of innocent civilians killed and actual enemy fighters eliminated is sickening..
The only things that we have accomplished in Iraq and Afghanistan is destroy the infrastructure and reduce the civilian population by numbers that would astound even Saddam Hussein....Both countries have been"BUSH" whacked..at a cost of 3 trillion and the loss of 5000 American lives and nearly 40 thousand wounded ...We need to bring our troops home now and try to get democracy right before we begin to force it on others...

[Carolab]

Anyone besides me think this has something to do with Pakistan asking the U.S. for another $10.5 B in "military aid"?

[Carolab]

Maybe we could offer to pay off Karzai instead of the Pakistanis to bring the Taliban under control.

[Rog49Thomas]

The surge is working.

And we're even applying it at home.

We're paying banks $700bn to stop making reckless loans.

[Carolab]

No, we're paying the banks to put us into even greater debt to them. And they are profiting by making reckless loans by having us pay them for their economic treachery.

[Rog49Thomas]

Future historians will no doubt look back with absolute amazement at Pan's Administration.

A man with almost incalculable imagined accomplishments.

Many have derided his lack of intelligence and said he was not a deep thinker.

But in the field of foreign policy he has come up with some novel ideas which no doubt have von Clausewitz spinning in his grave.

(1) Pay off your enemies not to fight you (aka = the Iraqi Surge). This brilliant idea if applied in the past could have saved countless lives and made wars much simpler.

(2) Mismanage a war and when you can't beat your enemies, surrender (aka = the Afghanistan Two-Step). First you send your troops in - squander a lot of humand and financial treasure. Second, you negotiate with the enemies.
As Republicans like to say, "Pat Tillman we honor your sacrifice! It was not in vain."

It's a hole (missing "w" is deliberate) new level of leadership!!!

[larazon]

Afghanistan is a very complex issue. On the one hand they are a major opi-um and he-roin producer. Then there are horrific human rights abuses against women in that country. Both these things must be addressed vigorously with Hamid Karzai. He must enforce the rule of law. The reason that this country is a festering ce-sspool of ter-rorism is because they have no systems in place to help people there get out of poverty, educate their children and find other means to support themselves besides the dr-ug trade.

You can't change the situation on the ground without turning around these vital elements of their social circumstances.

War and force will not solve the problem. The answer lies with putting a human face on the problem.