Karzai sets up council for peace talks with Taliban

[Samin]

4 September 2010 Last updated at 08:28 ET

Karzai sets up council for peace talks with Taliban


Mr Karzai has long advocated dialogue with insurgents who renounce violence
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has formed a committee to seek peace talks with the Taliban, his office has said.
It comes after a plan to engage militants in a reconciliation process was endorsed by tribal leaders in June.
For the past nine years, the Taliban have been fighting to overthrow the US-backed government and expel the 130,000 foreign troops there.
The formation of the High Peace Council was "a significant step towards peace talks", Mr Karzai's office said.
The US has previously expressed its support for moves to bring Taliban fighters who renounce violence into the political process.
AFP news agency quoted Mr Karzai's office as saying details of members of the council, which could include former insurgents, will be announced next week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11188294

[afghan]

there wont be any peace talks without ISI and saudi arabia.

[Talal]

I'm curious as to what you guys think about these peace talks

Allying with Taliban won't bring Afghanistan stability in my opinion. US and UK plan to stay there atleast for another five years. karzai is Walking on tight ropes here. By pitching forward this 'peace talks with Taliban' agenda I think he intends to

Keep the talibs from going up against his own government, he wants to appear to the talibs as an ally so they may leave him alone for the time being and that suits the Taliban well since they don't have to fight the government and are therefore seen as fighting the foreign invaders only, which gives them all the support they need at home

He uses the peace talks with the talibs as an agenda to distract the Americans and everyone else from more pressing matters such as the intense corruption his government is plundging itself in

By cozying upto the talibs he makes sure the local population doesn't turn against him

He knows that he is not gonna be there forever but he also realizes that should the US choose to kick him out right now they will be shooting themselves in the foot so he uses that to gain as much free reign as he can in his blind corruption campaign


But like all other fools in charge, he will only be tolerated to a certain extent..by both the Americans and the mullahs

[Abdul Haq]

these calls have been continously repeated but we dont see any clue of development














.

[Levanaye Zalmaye]

This is nothing new. Nawaz Sharif (sher-e-Punjab) had been mediated between the Karzai government and the Taliban in Saudi Arabia since 2008.

Conciliation with the 'moderate' Taliban is an even older prospect.

[Abdul Haq]

He has last support from public and on the other hand is not going well with his foriegn backers these days. now he is trying to gain support from his tribal leaders who have a very strong influence in some areas of the country especailly south, but still US and Nato are the obstacles in his way..

[Abdul Haq]

I don’t think it will work
That is quiet difficult for him to take two millions at one hand. From one side he has to please his foreign supporters, whom he fears if leave him alone, Pak and northern alliance would take on him, and on the other hand seek help from his people who are already very angry on him for civilian casualties and bombardments by foreigners and show them that he is loyal to his commitments to Talk with Taliban which the us and its allies are fighting with.

[Talal]

Talal,
These peace talks mean absolutely nothing in the world.Peace talks with the Taliban in my opinion means that they have accepted to defeat and now want a reconciliation. I strongly think they should settle their differences but we need a Govt that is successful. We had a Loya Jirga a few months back and till this day I have no clue what the outcome of it was.

They could mean a lot but it depends on what agenda karzai is pitching and wether he has actual authority to do that

In my opionion all of it is a farce for karzai to gain some ground and appear as a mediator between the talibs and the Americans while at the same time diverting everyone's attention from the real problem at hand i.e. the immense corruption that is brewing among the ranks under his regime

[ComradePashtun]

I'm curious as to what you guys think about these peace talks

Allying with Taliban won't bring Afghanistan stability in my opinion. US and UK plan to stay there atleast for another five years. karzai is Walking on tight ropes here. By pitching forward this 'peace talks with Taliban' agenda I think he intends to

Keep the talibs from going up against his own government, he wants to appear to the talibs as an ally so they may leave him alone for the time being and that suits the Taliban well since they don't have to fight the government and are therefore seen as fighting the foreign invaders only, which gives them all the support they need at home

He uses the peace talks with the talibs as an agenda to distract the Americans and everyone else from more pressing matters such as the intense corruption his government is plundging itself in

By cozying upto the talibs he makes sure the local population doesn't turn against him

He knows that he is not gonna be there forever but he also realizes that should the US choose to kick him out right now they will be shooting themselves in the foot so he uses that to gain as much free reign as he can in his blind corruption campaign


But like all other fools in charge, he will only be tolerated to a certain extent..by both the Americans and the mullahs

Full of contridictions and confused analysis, my friend.

Corruption is there and isn't going to go away and will have to be dealt with in a systematic manner. It cannot be cleansed in a day or a year. Those who are concerned knows and have paid a blind eye throughout the past years. It is time to start the job, I don't think Karzai should have a problem with it - but there are nevertheless politics involved in it. International community also know well to what extend to push him on that. This is seried that will go on.

Talking to Taliban on the other hand has nothing to do with corruption fundementally. Remember London Conference then followed by the Kabul Jirga and conference? The only differnce is the modus operandi of dealing with Taliban, this is the main issue with U.S. and Taliban. But my hunch is it will eventually also hinge on how things evolve regionally. He might be even well placed to pursue his own agendas, contrary to your arguement. We shall see.

[Talal]

Full of contridictions and confused analysis, my friend.

Corruption is there and isn't going to go away and will have to be dealt with in a systematic manner. It cannot be cleansed in a day or a year. Those who are concerned knows and have paid a blind eye throughout the past years. It is time to start the job, I don't think Karzai should have a problem with it - but there are nevertheless politics involved in it. International community also know well to what extend to push him on that. This is seried that will go on.

Talking to Taliban on the other hand has nothing to do with corruption fundementally. Remember London Conference then followed by the Kabul Jirga and conference? The only differnce is the modus operandi of dealing with Taliban, this is the main issue with U.S. and Taliban. But my hunch is it will eventually also hinge on how things evolve regionally. He might be even well placed to pursue his own agendas, contrary to your arguement. We shall see.

And what exactly did I say that seems contradictory to you and which point are you confused about

To get an idea of what I'm talking about here is how Karzai is stopping corruption

Karzai 'fired' anti-corruption lawyer after top official stung

Full story

Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar says arrest of National Security Council head is 'tip of the iceberg' of top-level Afghan corruption

One of Afghanistan's most senior government prosecutors said yesterday that he was forced into retirement after aggressively promoting corruption investigations against top officials, including one of Hamid Karzai's most trusted aides.
Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar, a lawyer well-regarded by foreign rule-of-law experts, lost his position as deputy attorney general at a time of growing US impatience with President Karzai over his apparent attempts to block sensitive cases and to reign in the powers of the western-backed Major Crime Task Force, the so-called "Afghan FBI" hailed as the centrepiece of a new push against corruption.
Speaking in his flat in Kabul, Faqiryar said he was made to retire last week because of his stance against the corrupt activities of some of the country's best-connected people, including Mohammed Zia Salehi, the head of Afghanistan's National Security Council.
Salehi was arrested in July after being caught accepting a bribe of a car for his help in derailing a major fraud enquiry.
But there are fears that the breakthrough investigation, led by an elite unit supported by officers from the FBI and the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency, could come to nothing after Karzai put massive pressure on the attorney general's office for Salehi to be released.
Yesterday Faqiryar said the Salehi investigation was just the tip of an iceberg of cases against top officials prepared by Afghan investigators and prosecutors. But he said nearly all had been stalled by Mohammed Ishaq Aloko, the attorney general who answers directly to Karzai.
"He was always asking us to delay that case on that governor or that minister. Or he would say we can't send that high-profile case to court," he said.
He said a number of cabinet ministers, Afghan ambassadors serving abroad and provincial governors have solid cases against them, largely involving money creamed off contracts or other illegal kickbacks.
The departure of Faqiryar will further heighten US concerns that Afghan anti-corruption measures are not receiving adequate support.
One western diplomat who works on rule-of-law issues, said pressure from foreign countries was not working and was unlikely to in the future. "These people are untouchables because there is no political will to do anything about it. No matter what outside pressure there is, Karzai always blocks these prosecutions, we have known that for a long time," the diplomat said.
At 72 years old, Faqiryar was due to retire, and Aloko had recommended his departure to Karzai more than a month ago, but nothing happened.
All of that changed when the palace was outraged by a television interview done by Faqiryar's deputy, Amrodin Wafa. He not only said that numerous ministers were under investigation, but that Salehi had been ordered three times to come to the attorney general's office to help investigators, but had refused.
Salehi was initially arrested on July, but was soon released after he called Karzai for help. The eight-month investigation, which included hours of intercepted phone calls, also revealed that Salehi was charged with dipping into a presidential slush fund to pay off Karzai's political allies.
After the short-lived arrest of his close aide, Karzai publicly made clear his fury with the MCTF, saying that foreigners were interfering in Afghanistan's affairs, and that the task force would be brought under his control and all its cases reviewed.
The Salehi scandal, the complaints of senior Afghan investigators and prosecutors that their work has been obstructed and Karzai's vow to neuter the MCTF has created a major row with Washington.
With fears that stories of Karzai protecting corrupt cronies could destroy critical support for the war in Afghanistan in the US Congress, which has already $4bn in financial aid in protest against Afghan corruption, Senator John Kerry travelled to Kabul this month to urge Karzai to take the issue more seriously.
While Karzai publicly promised to respect the independence of the MCTF his office has still not yet published a promised decree establishing its powers.
Faqiryar said that after a promising start the MCTF had been destroyed by political interference. "It was doing very well before with the help of the FBI, but I don't think they [will be able to arrest] high-profile people as long as certain elements interfere," he said. "The fight against corruption won't get anywhere."

And what exactly is Karzai's agenda for these peace talks..I've been hearing peace talks peace talks for a whole year now..what are these peace talks ? What his agenda ? I doubt even he knows that

Every now and then he makes an anti US statement and establishes another council for peace talks to divert attention from whats really going down in the backyard.

[khyaal]

They could mean a lot but it depends on what agenda karzai is pitching and wether he has actual authority to do that

Look Talala! Olas Mashar has already been supported by the Obama administration and Afghanistan's Western allies, so obviously Karzai saib now has the resources to re-integrate the Paki sponsored Taliban back into afghan society.

In my opionion all of it is a farce for karzai to gain some ground and appear as a mediator between the talibs and the Americans while at the same time diverting everyone's attention from the real problem at hand i.e. the immense corruption that is brewing among the ranks under his regime

The real issue is not between ,Taliban and the American, it is between Afghans and Punjabi Establishment. The whole world knows Punjab's agenda behind Taliban insurgency. Even yesterday Robert Gates told that

" Militants operating out of safe havens in Pakistan remain a major threat to Afghanistan ".

Which means that Pakistan till this time is using Taliban to destabilize Afghanistan.

As for as corruption in afghanistan is concerned, it is still far behind the relatively stable Pakistan if you have seen the latest Transparency International report for the year 2010 where Pakistan stands at 145 among the lowest and the most corrupt countries while afghanistan is at 118 (far better).

Besides, based on research report from Acbar 80 percent of the foreign funds were being expended through NGO's, so deeming Afghan government responsible for corruption was unjustified.

Moreover, in London Conference held in January 2010 Afghans' Western allies promised to expend 50 percent of the funds (30 percent more funds ) through Afghan government. This clearly negates the allegations against the present Afghan government and shows that the hue and cry over corruption was nothing more than just a hoax, a blackmail tactic.

[Talal]

As for as corruption in afghanistan is concerned, it is still far behind the relatively stable Pakistan if you have seen the latest Transparency International report for the year 2010 where Pakistan stands at 145 among the lowest and the most corrupt countries while afghanistan is at 118 (far better).

bro I'm not sure about what 2010 transparency international report your referring to I might have not seen it..perhaps you could post it here. As far as I know the latest transparency international corruption index report for 2009 ranked Pakistan at 139 and Afghanistan at 179, the second last country at the bottom of the list

CPI 2009 Table/2009/cpi/surveys_indices/policy_research


Again your welcome to send me the new surey for 2010 since I was unable to locate it on the transparency intl's official webpage


As to the punjabi argument, a lot has been said and I don't intend to indulge in this argument any further..we are both happy with our views and happiness is all that matters

[khyaal]

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/go...ent-corruption

[Talal]

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/go...ent-corruption

That's a fall source my friend since they are quoting the latest survey of transparency international and TI's latest survey is that of 2009 which is available on their own official website and which contradicts what they have posted here

There will be million other websites that can have their own rankings..you quoted transparency international whereas transparency international hasn't even done a 2010 surey yet lol

Check out the link I gave you and on the left hand side bar you will se 2009 being the latest survey

[khyaal]

The link you have provided is the Corruption Perception Index and not the Global Corruption Index. According to the list if Iran is at 168 and Pakistan at 139 which seems absurd.

I've downloaded the full text of the global index but it is a bit complicated to interpret for comparison purposes. In that list afghanistan is placed in middle east category while Pakistan among the asian facific countries.