Taliban say `no' to peace talks with Karzai
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, Oct 29, IRNA
Pakistan-Taliban
Fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar has rejected the latest offer of peace talks by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a rebel spokesman said on Saturday.
According to the Daily Times, the one-eyed leader with a USD 10 million US bounty on his head, has instead repeated his threat to prosecute Karzai in an Islamic court for the massacre of Afghans.
"The infidels of the entire world have gathered in Afghanistan, occupied it and taken the Afghans hostage," Tayyab Agha said by satellite phone from a secret place.
"There can be no talks with the Afghan puppet government in the presence of foreign occupying forces."
The rebel spokesman said Hamid (Karzai) and his colleagues should first free themselves from the slavery of foreign infidels before they invite them for negotiations.
Karzai on Friday repeated his offer for talks if the Taliban leadership met several conditions, including ending support from elements in Pakistan and recruitment of foreign fighters.
The Taliban will not negotiate in the presence of foreign forces and will continue their armed jihad under Mullah Omar's leadership until the ouster of foreign forces, Agha said.
NATO Supreme Commander for Europe US Marines General James Jones said the force still did not have enough troops although it was almost there, and appealed for countries to allow more flexibility in deployment.
He also said early indications were that movement across the border with Pakistan by rebels had increased despite recent agreements aimed at halting such crossings.
Some NATO countries, such as Germany, have been criticized for keeping the bulk of their troops in the relatively safe north when most of the fighting is in the south.
Caveats are a fact of life, but I believe there is room for improvement in this force, Jones told reporters at the main US base in Bagram, Afghanistan.
Jones' three-day visit comes as NATO finds itself under fire for killing what witnesses say were 60 civilians in an aerial bombing this week and pictures showing German soldiers desecrating human skulls and other remains in Kabul.
Jones said he had personally apologized to Karzai, saying the bombing occurred in the fog and heat of war, and blamed the Taliban for using villagers as human shields.
NATO has confirmed several civilian deaths but has not yet put a number on the toll.
It says at least 70 people, mostly Taliban, were killed. NATO originally put the number of insurgent deaths at 48.
It said some civilian casualties could also have been caused by Taliban fire.
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