U.S. Commander
Foresees Taliban Peace Deal
The
commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan has said he hopes
increased troop levels will weaken the Taliban to the extent
that its leaders will accept a peace deal.
U.S. General Stanley McChrystal said in an interview that there
had been ‘enough fighting’ and held out the possibility the
Taliban could eventually help run the country.
’’It's not my job to extend olive branches, but it is my job
to help set conditions where people in the right positions can
have options on the way forward,’’ he said.
When asked whether he would be content to see Taliban leaders in
a future Afghan Government, he responded: ’’I think any
Afghans can play a role if they focus on the future, and not the
past.’’
He was speaking with the Financial Times of London, ahead of a
conference in London, expected to agree on a framework for the
Afghan Government to begin taking charge of security in line
with a 2011 timetable set by US President Barack Obama to start
drawing down U.S. troops.
Obama plans sending an extra 30,000 troops to Afghanistan
to try to reverse a military stalemate there and has held out
the possibility of reintegrating former Taliban fighters.
In the first of a series of meetings before Thursday's
international conference in London, Turkey hosted the Presidents
of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday, for talks on plans to
reach out to Taliban insurgents.
Mediation role of Turkey
Afghan President Hamid Karzai was also scheduled for talks with
his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, on the sidelines of
a summit with Turkey, which has been working to repair relations
between Islamabad and Kabul, notably over negotiations with the
Taliban.
On Tuesday, Turkey hosts a meeting of Afghanistan's neighbours
to seek a common approach to the conflict ahead of the London
talks, which will bring together about 60 countries.
Turkey has said the foreign minister of China and officials from
Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan will
attend as well as British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and
U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke's deputy, Paul Jones.
NAN/Yinka
