Taliban rejects peace talks with Karzai

Dawn:

Mullah Mohammad Omar, leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban militia, on Wednesday rejected a call from President Hamid Karzai for peace talks, in a statement issued ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Karzai was inaugurated last week after winning a fraud-tainted August poll and used a speech to again call for the Taliban to rejoin the political process in Afghanistan, where about 100,000 US and Nato troops are stationed.

‘The people of Afghanistan will not agree to negotiation which prolongs and legitimises the invader’s military presence in our beloved country. Afghanistan is our home,’ a Taliban statement quoted Omar as saying.

The elusive leader of the militia, which were unseated in the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, accused foreign powers of seeking negotiations to ‘prolong their evil process of colonization and occupation. The cunning enemy wants to attack people’s crowded places such as mosques and other similar places in order to malign the Mujahideen,’ Omar said.

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This is consistent with his past position on talks. You have to understand he is a religious bigot who thinks all his enemies either infidels or inadequately pious Muslims. A compromise with these people would be like compromising his religious beliefs. He is not going to do it. We need to concentrate on destroying the Taliban and its leadership.