US backs opening Taliban office in Qatar: Report

[Devil Soul]

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US backs opening Taliban office in Qatar: Report
By AFP
Published: September 12, 2011
LONDON: The United States has endorsed plans for the Taliban to open political headquarters in the Gulf state of Qatar by the end of the year, British newspaper The Times reported on Monday.
The move is designed to allow the West to begin formal peace talks with the Taliban, Western diplomats told the paper.
The office of the self-styled Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan would be the first internationally recognised representation for the Taliban since it was ousted from power by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
Western diplomats told The Times it was hoped that opening a Taliban office in Qatar would push forward the prospect of talks intended to reconcile insurgents with the Afghan government and bring an end to the decade-long war.
Washington is believed to have insisted that the office be located “outside Pakistan’s sphere of influence”, the report said.
“It will be an address where they have a political office,” one Western diplomatic source, who was not named, told The Times.
“It will not be an embassy or a consulate but a residence where they can be treated like a political party.”
The diplomat stressed that the Taliban would not be allowed to use the office in the Qatari capital, Doha, to raise funds.
The Times reported that the Taliban was seeking assurances that its representatives would be free from the threat of harassment or arrest.
Britain, which has the second largest contingent of troops in Afghanistan, declined to say whether it supported the creation of a Taliban office in Qatar. “This is a matter for the United States,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.
The US ambassador to Kabul said last week that the Taliban must feel “more pain” from increased military pressure before progress can be made in peace talks.
“The Taliban needs to feel more pain before you get to a real readiness to reconcile,” Ryan Crocker said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Just a strategy to lure the beast away from its habitat, and then smack it in head

They did the same with Yasir Arafat lured him with peace deal and when he was out , they surrounded the compound and let Israel lose on him

[S.M.R]

Woh kia kehtay humaray indians bhai,

Tum karo to raam leela, hum karain to character dheela.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/u-s-for...aliban-us.html

Hypocrites.

[Doctor09]

they are negotiating with Talibans BUt on the other hand they are demanding that we should take action against taliban.....what a double standard.........shame USA

[S.M.R]

Sincerely pakistan should put demand before US, either fence the afghan border or we are out of this fcuking wot.

---------- Post added at 01:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:31 AM ----------

Btw what happened to turkey office of taliban? I dont know why dont US opens taliban as well as al qaeda office in New York ( apart from washington)

[Imran Khan]

wow nice move USA you are really great as always .Pakistan should recognize them and open office here too lolz

[Paan Singh]

wow nice move USA you are really great as always .Pakistan should recognize them and open office here too lolz

and their embassy in india too

[lem34]

This is just so they can either split taleban, spy on them easier. try to get pakistanis less important in any negotiations

[mafiya]

Qatar has already seen some terrorist attacks. One in 2007, suicide attack on british cultural center and other is Assassination of Chechen leader who were granted asylum in Qatar. Later two russian agents who assassinated him. now if we see taliban office in Qatar, we might see some negative activities popping up too

[Imran Khan]

and their embassy in india too

they are same as israel so no harm open it lolz .

[SMC]

A state that's a hypocrite of the highest order. Deserves to get dissolved into 20 pieces.

[BATMAN]

Why (only) Qatar ?????

[Luftwaffe]

Folks dials phone hindustan ______ "No Reply"

[TOPGUN]

What the hell am i reading this s__t right what is the US thinking ... i can't belive this .

[Saifullah Sani]

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U.S. Offers The Taliban New Middle East Headquarters
Robert Johnson | Sep. 12, 2011, 8:08 AM
Hoping to bring the 10-year Afghan conflict to a close, the U.S. endorsed Taliban plans to open political headquarters in Qatar by the end of 2011.

According to The Times the move is intended to spur peace talks with the Taliban and bring the group formally to the negotiating table.

This renewed commitment to peace comes after Saturday's attack on American forces in Afghanistan where 77 servicemembers were injured.

The "office of the self-styled Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" will be the first officially recognized office for the Taliban since being routed from power in 2001.

Qatar volunteered to host the new location, when Washington insisted the 'embassy' be outside Pakistan's area of influence.

“It will be an address where they have a political office,” said one Western diplomatic source, who declined to be named. “It will not be an embassy or a consulate but a residence where they can be treated like a political party.”

The diplomat stressed that the Taliban would not be permitted use the office for fundraising or in support of their armed struggle in Afghanistan. The Times understands that the Taleban is seeking assurances that its representatives in Doha, the Qatari capital, would be free from the threat of harassment or arrest.

The agreement comes after more than a year of talks between Western diplomats from Britain, the U.S. and the Taliban.
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U.S. Offers The Taliban New Middle East Headquarters