Zarvan
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
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CNN) -- The Taliban have met with U.S. officials to discuss possible peace talks, but do not want to negotiate with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government, a Taliban spokesman said Tuesday.
The spokesman's comments, rejecting a key American condition, could potentially derail American efforts for Afghans to reach a negotiated end to the decade-long war.
In an e-mail response to questions from CNN, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied previous reports that the Taliban had been invited to meet with the Karzai government in Saudi Arabia, saying that talks with what he called a "puppet" government were pointless.
"We have never been asked to attend talks with Karzai administration officials in Saudi Arabia, but even if we are asked to attend, we won't because (the) Karzai government is a puppet and unauthorized, and meeting with them will not be beneficial in solving the issue," Mujahid wrote in a message from an e-mail account regularly used by the Taliban to issue statements.
The spokesman, in answers that he said had taken some time to consider, said the Taliban wanted direct discussions with the Americans.
"The issue is...who is powerful and has got the power to make a decision, and who hasn't, and everyone around the world knows that the one who has got the authority in opposition to the Mujahideen (the Taliban) is America," he wrote.
The e-mail also contained the Taliban's first open recognition that they have met with U.S. officials in Qatar.
The spokesman said: "The representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have had trust-building meetings with an American delegation in Qatar."
U.S. officials have been trying to jump start peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials through secret discussions over the past year.
The nascent process has been marred by dissatisfaction from the Afghan government that they were not included at the start.
The Taliban's demand to talk with U.S. officials and not the Karzai administration throws a wrench in the U.S. State Department's demand that all talks be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.
Mujahid's statement went on to add that the Taliban sought confidence-building measures from the Americans for talks to proceed.
"The trust-building phase is totally up to Americans," the spokesman wrote, "and they have to take measures and our conditions are as follows: Exchange of Guantanamo prisoners, the establishment of political office (in Qatar), removing the sanction lists of the UN (against Taliban figures)."
Mark Thornburg, acting U.S. Embassy spokesman in Kabul, said officials would not comment on individual statements from the Taliban.
"However, as Ambassador (Marc) Grossman said during his last visit to Kabul, the ultimate goal of our efforts has been and remains to create the conditions for a peace process among Afghans," Thornburg said. "The United States, regional countries and the international community have repeatedly reaffirmed their support for an Afghan peace process to bring Afghans together to decide and chart a better future for Afghanistan."
The spokesman's comments, rejecting a key American condition, could potentially derail American efforts for Afghans to reach a negotiated end to the decade-long war.
In an e-mail response to questions from CNN, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied previous reports that the Taliban had been invited to meet with the Karzai government in Saudi Arabia, saying that talks with what he called a "puppet" government were pointless.
"We have never been asked to attend talks with Karzai administration officials in Saudi Arabia, but even if we are asked to attend, we won't because (the) Karzai government is a puppet and unauthorized, and meeting with them will not be beneficial in solving the issue," Mujahid wrote in a message from an e-mail account regularly used by the Taliban to issue statements.
The spokesman, in answers that he said had taken some time to consider, said the Taliban wanted direct discussions with the Americans.
"The issue is...who is powerful and has got the power to make a decision, and who hasn't, and everyone around the world knows that the one who has got the authority in opposition to the Mujahideen (the Taliban) is America," he wrote.
The e-mail also contained the Taliban's first open recognition that they have met with U.S. officials in Qatar.
The spokesman said: "The representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have had trust-building meetings with an American delegation in Qatar."
U.S. officials have been trying to jump start peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials through secret discussions over the past year.
The nascent process has been marred by dissatisfaction from the Afghan government that they were not included at the start.
The Taliban's demand to talk with U.S. officials and not the Karzai administration throws a wrench in the U.S. State Department's demand that all talks be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.
Mujahid's statement went on to add that the Taliban sought confidence-building measures from the Americans for talks to proceed.
"The trust-building phase is totally up to Americans," the spokesman wrote, "and they have to take measures and our conditions are as follows: Exchange of Guantanamo prisoners, the establishment of political office (in Qatar), removing the sanction lists of the UN (against Taliban figures)."
Mark Thornburg, acting U.S. Embassy spokesman in Kabul, said officials would not comment on individual statements from the Taliban.
"However, as Ambassador (Marc) Grossman said during his last visit to Kabul, the ultimate goal of our efforts has been and remains to create the conditions for a peace process among Afghans," Thornburg said. "The United States, regional countries and the international community have repeatedly reaffirmed their support for an Afghan peace process to bring Afghans together to decide and chart a better future for Afghanistan."
