UK, U.S. want understanding with Taliban before withdrawing troops from Afghanistan: ex-Afghan FM

TEHRAN,Feb.12(MNA)--Former Afghan Foreign Minister Najibullah Lafraie says “Britain and the U.S. look for some kind of understanding with the Taliban before the bulk of NATO troops are withdrawn” from Afghanistan. Lafraie made the remarks in an interview with the Tehran Times. Q: On February 3, British Prime Minister David Cameron hosted a meeting of the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan in London for talks on the Afghanistan peace. Based on the meeting, how can Hamid Karzai reach a peace with Taliban? A: The London meeting was organized by the British PM, and each party had its own agenda in attending it. Britain and the U.S. look for some kind of understanding with the Taliban before the bulk of NATO troops are withdrawn. They also want the peace talks to be under their own general auspices. Karzai and Zardari attended not only because they could not say no to the British invitation. Karzai’s government wants to remain relevant in the face of Taliban's rejection of its legitimacy and other parties -- both domestic and international -- talking to the Taliban directly or indirectly. Pakistan wants to take the opportunity to underline its regional significance and its crucial role in restoration of peace in Afghanistan. Would the meeting bear any fruits? We need to wait and see. If Karzai again does not backtrack from its agreement with the opening of the Taliban office in Qatar, that would certainly be an achievement. The other important point is the presence of Pakistani army chief of staff in the meeting. Zardari enjoys personal friendship with Karzai, the roots of which go to the 1980s and 1990s. But he is not the most important player in Pakistan. The army chief of staff is, and if he is cooperative in the peace process (and Britain may have some measure of influence on him), that may prove beneficial. Najibullah Lafraie was the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan between 1992 and 1996. He is now a lecturer in political studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. (By Javad Heirannia )