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Trilateral talks in Islamabad on engaging the Afghan Taliban
Trilateral talks in Islamabad on engaging the Afghan Taliban
Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Trilateral talks in Islamabad on engaging the Afghan Taliban
Updated August 3, 2011 21:54:57
To the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where top US, Afghan and Pakistani officials are meeting to discuss Afghan peace and reconciliation.
The United States and Afghanistan want Pakistan's full support in the reconciliation effort with the Afghan Taliban, as foreign forces prepare to withdraw from the troubled nation.
Correspondent: Kanaha Sabapathy
Speakers: Dr Fazil Rahman, Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad; Marc Grossman, US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan; Jawed Ludin, Afghan deputy foreign minister; Salman Bashir, Pakistan's foreign secretary
SABAPATHY: After fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for ten years the United States now wants to cut a deal with them that would enable it to leave the war torn country.
But to do so it needs the support of Pakistan, where its believed a number of top Taliban leaders are in hiding.
During trilateral talks Marc Grossman , the US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan reiterated the importance of Pakistan's participation in the reconciliation process.
GROSSMAN: From my perspective, this core group highlights the unique role, the important role that Pakistan must play in supporting this reconciliation
process.
SABAPATHY: Afghan deputy foreign minister Jawed Ludin who is leading his country's delegation says reconciliation is the single top priority of the Kabul government to bring peace to the country.
But he says attempts to reach out to the Taliban has so far only brought in mid and low level leaders to the negotiationg table ...when what's needed are the top leaders.
LUDIN: We need to identify who we can reconcile and then how we approach them, how do we then convince them to join the peace process, that's the challenge. But I think the understanding in terms of who we are talking about, that's pretty much there.That knowledge does exist but we have translate that knowledge into some actionable cooperation.
SABAPATHY: Dr Fazil Rahman, Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad says Pakistan is well aware that it needs to be a part of the reconciliation process if its own domestic security is to be ensured.
But he says while sources within Pakistan may have contact with the Taliban leadership even Islamabad may have difficulty convincing the Taliban to give up on its precondition for talks.
RAHMAN: They are asking for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and that is one of the very strong and long standing precondition for entering into any kind of negotiations . So we will have to see how much Pakistan can exercise its influence in persuading the Taliban leadership to enter into some kind of meaningful dialogue with the Karzai regime.
SABAPATHY: Pakistan is a strategic ally for the United States, but relations have nosedived since the raid and killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in early May.
This incident along with US drone attacks on militant hideouts in Pakistan's tribal areas and the recent decision by the US to suspend a third of its annual 2 point 7 billion dollar defence aid have soured relations further .
During his recent talks with Mr Grossman, Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari called for clear terms of engagement and Dr Rahman says that must limit US involvement in Pakistan.
RAHMAN: There should be a very clear cut mandate given to the US involvement in such activities in Pakistan. They should not be given a free hand to do whatever they feel like doing in a sovereign state.
SABAPATHY: Despite these tensions, all three parties aware of the need for cooperation, are willing to overcome their differences for regional stability.This is US special envoy Marc Grossman.
GROSSMAN: The government of Pakistan has some regulations and it's got some requirements, and we are trying together to figure out how to meet those requirements.
SABAPATHY: For his part Pakistan's foreign secretary Salman Bashir had this to say.
BASHIR: We feel very confident that our common interests which are based on a very broad degree of convergence of interests, and convergence of our strategic objectives, and
building stability, peace and prosperity in the region, will Insha Allah bear fruit.
SABAPATHY: But Dr Rahman says more needs to be done if reconciliation with the Taliban is to be achieved.
RAHMAN: I think that the NATO and American forces will also have to contain or curtail their military actions against the Taliban because only reciprocity can work in that kind of a situation.
Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Trilateral talks in Islamabad on engaging the Afghan Taliban
Updated August 3, 2011 21:54:57
To the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where top US, Afghan and Pakistani officials are meeting to discuss Afghan peace and reconciliation.
The United States and Afghanistan want Pakistan's full support in the reconciliation effort with the Afghan Taliban, as foreign forces prepare to withdraw from the troubled nation.
Correspondent: Kanaha Sabapathy
Speakers: Dr Fazil Rahman, Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad; Marc Grossman, US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan; Jawed Ludin, Afghan deputy foreign minister; Salman Bashir, Pakistan's foreign secretary
SABAPATHY: After fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for ten years the United States now wants to cut a deal with them that would enable it to leave the war torn country.
But to do so it needs the support of Pakistan, where its believed a number of top Taliban leaders are in hiding.
During trilateral talks Marc Grossman , the US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan reiterated the importance of Pakistan's participation in the reconciliation process.
GROSSMAN: From my perspective, this core group highlights the unique role, the important role that Pakistan must play in supporting this reconciliation
process.
SABAPATHY: Afghan deputy foreign minister Jawed Ludin who is leading his country's delegation says reconciliation is the single top priority of the Kabul government to bring peace to the country.
But he says attempts to reach out to the Taliban has so far only brought in mid and low level leaders to the negotiationg table ...when what's needed are the top leaders.
LUDIN: We need to identify who we can reconcile and then how we approach them, how do we then convince them to join the peace process, that's the challenge. But I think the understanding in terms of who we are talking about, that's pretty much there.That knowledge does exist but we have translate that knowledge into some actionable cooperation.
SABAPATHY: Dr Fazil Rahman, Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad says Pakistan is well aware that it needs to be a part of the reconciliation process if its own domestic security is to be ensured.
But he says while sources within Pakistan may have contact with the Taliban leadership even Islamabad may have difficulty convincing the Taliban to give up on its precondition for talks.
RAHMAN: They are asking for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and that is one of the very strong and long standing precondition for entering into any kind of negotiations . So we will have to see how much Pakistan can exercise its influence in persuading the Taliban leadership to enter into some kind of meaningful dialogue with the Karzai regime.
SABAPATHY: Pakistan is a strategic ally for the United States, but relations have nosedived since the raid and killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in early May.
This incident along with US drone attacks on militant hideouts in Pakistan's tribal areas and the recent decision by the US to suspend a third of its annual 2 point 7 billion dollar defence aid have soured relations further .
During his recent talks with Mr Grossman, Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari called for clear terms of engagement and Dr Rahman says that must limit US involvement in Pakistan.
RAHMAN: There should be a very clear cut mandate given to the US involvement in such activities in Pakistan. They should not be given a free hand to do whatever they feel like doing in a sovereign state.
SABAPATHY: Despite these tensions, all three parties aware of the need for cooperation, are willing to overcome their differences for regional stability.This is US special envoy Marc Grossman.
GROSSMAN: The government of Pakistan has some regulations and it's got some requirements, and we are trying together to figure out how to meet those requirements.
SABAPATHY: For his part Pakistan's foreign secretary Salman Bashir had this to say.
BASHIR: We feel very confident that our common interests which are based on a very broad degree of convergence of interests, and convergence of our strategic objectives, and
building stability, peace and prosperity in the region, will Insha Allah bear fruit.
SABAPATHY: But Dr Rahman says more needs to be done if reconciliation with the Taliban is to be achieved.
RAHMAN: I think that the NATO and American forces will also have to contain or curtail their military actions against the Taliban because only reciprocity can work in that kind of a situation.
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