The time has come to talk to the Taliban, say officials in Kabul. This is an issue that will be at the forefront of the London conference on Afghanistan, scheduled for late January.

Administration officials acknowledge that a plan has been developed to seek reconciliation with armed opposition groups. They will bring the issue up in London with a view to gaining the support of the international community for such negotiations.

“We will have particular Afghan proposals for the London conference… and we have developed a particular proposal for reconciliation with the armed opposition groups.” Wahid Omar, president spokesman stated at a news conference in Kabul.  

Some Western countries have backed approaches to what are called “the moderate elements of the Taliban,” but the Kabul administration says that no practical steps have been taken to make these negotiations a reality.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly urged Taliban militants to lay down their arms and negotiate with his government.

At a ceremony commemorating the Ashura – anniversary of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammad’s martyrdom – in Kabul on December 27, Karzai once again offered to talk to the Taliban.

While both the Karzai government and its international backers give lip service to their willingness to negotiate with the insurgents, their approaches to the issue differ widely.

Political analyst Masoud Ansari believes that Karzai has always been more open to insurgents than Westerners, as he does not distinguish between those the West deems “terrorists” and the so-called “moderate Taliban.”

Taliban leader Mullah Omar is on the United Nations blacklist of terrorists, but Karzai has called him “brother” and has repeatedly tried to bring him to the negotiating table.

However, as Ansari points out, Karzai’s stance is somewhat ambiguous.

“Karzai calls Mullah Omar his brother and urges him to agree to negotiations, but on the other hand, he refuses to compromise with those elements of Taliban ‘whose hands are bloody and who are connected to Al Qaeda,’” said Ansari. “Karzai’s remarks are contradictory because it is beyond question that Mullah Omar’s hands are bloody”.

Yahya Nabawi, a political analyst in Kabul, believes that the Taliban, unlike the international community and the Kabul government, has usually taken a united and firm stance regarding negotiations.

“Those who call themselves Taliban, and are currently fighting the NATO forces and the Afghan government, have always rejected negotiations, and have refused to talk, but Afghan government insists on proposing talks,” said Nabawi.

According to Nabawi, in every conflict, it is the weaker side that is more interested in negotiations; Karzai’s government and its foreign supporters are determined to talk. Therefore, the Taliban can consider themselves the stronger side, and they will become more intransigent.

Since their birth, the Taliban have always opposed democratic values and have been working towards the establishment of what they call an “Islamic Emirate”, based on their extremist interpretations.

Karzai, however, has said publicly that he will negotiate only with those elements of the Taliban who accept the Constitution of the country, which is based on democratic values.

“Karzai on the one hand urges Taliban to compromise, which reveals his government’s weakness, but on the other hand he sets preconditions for reconciliation,” said Ansari.

According to Massoud Ansari, the Taliban are not considered a unified faction under a single leadership; there are many different groups among Taliban, fighting for different reasons. There are also serious doubts as to whether or not Mullah Omar can play the determinative role in negotiations.

Meanwhile, Ansari believes that the Taliban insurgency is not an exclusively Afghan challenge that can be solved through domestic reconciliation. It has deep regional and international roots.

“As a result of regional and international conflicts and Afghanistan’s unique conditions and political complexity, it seems unlikely, at least in the short term, that the insurgency will end, even if the current Taliban leadership agrees to a compromise,” he said.