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Karzai Says Taliban Chief Harmed Islam, Afghanistan

17 February 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said during a visit to a border town in Pakistan today that Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban movement, has damaged Islam and Afghanistan, RFE/RL's Afghan Service reported.

Karzai said Mullah Omar and his accomplices were involved in terrorism and would be chased all over Afghanistan.

Karzai said some 1,000 Taliban militants and other resistance fighters had reconciled with his government and that some had even won seats in the new parliament.

He also denied making any offer to Mullah Omar or other Taliban leaders to negotiate a peace deal.

Karzai also rejected a Pakistani proposal from last month to build a fence along parts of the Afghan-Pakistani border.

"Fences are built between hostile nations, not between brothers and friends, and if this is suggested [as a measure] to prevent terrorism this is not the way. Fences only split the nation," Karzai said. "There is one nation. We want to fight terrorism in the trrorists' camps, and in the places where money is given to hem."

Many militants launch attacks in Afghanistan and cross back to heir safe havens inside Pakistan.

(with material from dpa)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org