Karzai meets with Taliban

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, without informing United States and Western allies, has been in contact with the Taliban in secret. Officials are saying that Mr. Karzai actions with interaction with the Taliban for reaching a peace agreement without America, is building a strain on the relationship between US and Afghanistan. This interaction is making the contact between US and Afghanistan is already going towards a rocky relationship, and the involvement of the Taliban, will only increase violence and the suspicious from US. With United State's knowledge of peace talks being talked between Afghanistan and Taliban, US is responding  that it can be very hard "maintain even minimal security cooperation with Mr. Karzai's government of its successor after coming elections" (Ahmed). The frustration is growing more from Obama with Mr. Karzai refusing to sign the agreement with US, which would clear the way for American troops to stay on for training and counter terrorism work at the end of the year. The mission between Afghanistan and America is growing at rapid intense and America is getting more concern as where the relationship will stand. It is said that the Taliban reached out in November to Mr. Karzai and were trying to come to a peaceful agreement. President Karzai saw this to be the opportunity to make something happen that America has been trying to have happen but haven't. Mr. Karzai saw the opportunity to show up United States without their knowledge of what is happening. Although the negotiations between Taliban and Mr. Karzai have not progressed anywhere from the opening negotiations, it is something to have an eye and watch it progression could happen. The long-term agreement to a relationship between Afghanistan and United States is almost complete but Mr. Karzai is being indifferent about it and staling out one accepting some the agreements, making the progress of a relationship between US and Afghanistan move slowly. Afghan officials are saying that there are no moves toward any negotiation with Taliban and any prospets of a peace deal were now gone. Although there are discussion of no movement toward peace talk with Taliban, Mr. Karzai is also concerned with relationships with America just because he knows Afghanistan's history with other foreign nations and he doesn't want the troubled history to come back up again. He has said many times over that he will not be signing any agreement with America, if they are not clear about helping bring the Taliban to the table for peace talks. It seems like that Mr. Karzai will go about this peace talk with or without America, but he is trying to include America so there aren't any bigger issues started from this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/world/asia/karzai-has-held-secret-contacts-with-the-taliban.html?hp&_r=0

Simona Gudynaite