Taliban Rejects Peace Talks

By: Brett Hulett

Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, has been attempting to reach out to the Taliban in recent weeks in order to establish some level of peace. However, Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban stated that this cannot happen until the United States and other Western nations leave the region. "The Taliban will pursue jihad against foreign forces and (Karzai's) government," he said, while speaking from an unknown location. But Karzai stated that the foreign troops are needed to help keep Afghanistan safe.

Karzai has been interested in involving the Taliban in the political mainstream for years, as long as they will condemn Al-Qaida and will accept Afghanistan's constitution. The Taliban do not believe these interests to be genuine though. With Karzai's election coming up in the next year, Taliban leaders believe it is simply a ploy to gain re-election. They feel that if he could not ask for these negotiations seven years ago (when the U.S. invaded for the first time), then what is the benefit of asking now? The United States however is following suit, and is hoping to negotiate certain terms with the Taliban as well.