Taliban ‘Confirms’ Deal To Open Qatar Office
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 4:42 am
Taliban 'Confirms' Deal To Open Qatar Office
The Taliban has confirmed it has come to an “initial agreement” to open a political office overseas as part of peace talks with the US, according to a statement. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he will back the opening of a Taliban liaison office in Qatar to try to help consolidate the peace process.
The Times cites Western diplomatic sources to corroborate its report, but the Taliban, Qatar and the United States have thus far refused to comment. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the liaison office will conduct negotiations with the international community. He did not say when it would open.
The US, Germany and other countries with a stake in the decade-long war against the Taliban have increasingly been seeking a political end to the conflict. Mujahid’s statement says the Taliban held negotiations with Qatar’s government and other “relevant parties” about the office’s opening.
The statement was the most credible evidence to date to substantiate reports that the wealthy emirate has agreed to let the militant group establish an office in Doha. U.S. officials held secret talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar and Germany last year, but those appear to have yielded little.
It is unclear, however, what role the Afghan government would play in any talks between the Taliban and the United States. According to The Times, Washington insisted that the Taliban’s office be located “outside Pakistan’s ‘sphere of influence.’ “
The Taliban refers to Karzai’s government as a “puppet regime” of the US, and said in its statement that “Afghans must be allowed to create an Islamic government of their choice that be no harm to any one”. But in a statement on Tuesday, Mr Karzai said that while he preferred the idea of Turkey or Saudi Arabia hosting the office, if the Americans wanted to locate it in Doha he would agree.
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