Taliban spokesman rejects Karzai's offer of talks

Last Updated: Sunday, September 30, 2007 | 10:27 PM ET

CBC News

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's offer of peace talks was rejected by a Taliban spokesman, who on Sunday repeated a position he announced earlier this month, saying there would be no negotiations until foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan.

Karzai told reporters on Saturday that he wants to meet with Taliban leader Mullah Omar and is willing to give the insurgent group positions in government. But Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi turned down the proposal.

"The Taliban will never negotiate with the Afghan government in the presence of foreign forces," Ahmadi told the Associated Press. "Even if Karzai gives up his presidency, it's not possible that Mullah Omar would agree to negotiations."

Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Bernier, said Sunday. "We hope that negotiations will only be conducted with individuals and organizations that will respect human rights and renounce violence."

Karzai's offer came shortly after a suicide bomber disguised as an Afghan soldier killed 30 people in Kabul. The victims included 28 soldiers who were on a bus taking them to work. Two civilians near the bus explosion were also killed.

Karzai's office, meantime, said Sunday that there is talk among some Taliban fighters about laying down arms.

"They want to live in peace and have a comfortable life with their families," Karzai spokesman Humayun Hamidzada said. "There is serious debate within their ranks, but this is a process that takes time."

About 50,000 foreign soldiers under NATO and U.S. command are stationed in Afghanistan. The international forces are preparing to hand security responsibilities to the Afghans and are hoping the transfer will take place by 2011.

In the last session of Parliament, Canada's defence minister, Gordon O'Connor, said the military is committed to keeping soldiers in Afghanistan until the end of February 2009.

Earlier this month, the new defence minister, Peter MacKay, said Canada has made it clear to its NATO allies that they cannot count on Canadian troops, totalling more than 2,000 in southern Afghanistan, to continue the combat mission after that. MacKay said he'll have a final decision before a NATO meeting in Romania next April.