Raja.Pakistani
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The Prime Minister urged the Taliban to give up violence for politics, and held out Sinn Fein's role on the devolved Belfast administration as an example of the possible rewards.
Britain has already confirmed that officials are in direct contact with some Taliban members seeking a peace deal. However, Mr Cameron's explicit offer of power-sharing to a group that has killed hundreds of British service personnel may raise eyebrows.
Speaking in Kabul after talks with President Hamid Karzai, Mr Cameron said that Afghanistan's long-term future lies in a negotiated settlement with the Taliban.
As the West ends its military mission in Aghanistsn, the Prime Minister called for greater efforts to "reconcile and reintegrate" Taliban members into Afghan politics.
The result could be an Ulster-style peace process, with Government posts for former Taliban members, he suggested. Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, is a former IRA commander.
Mr Cameron said: "The message to the Taliban is stop fighting, stop bombing, stop killing.
Join a political process and you can be part of the future of this country.
"I have seen it in my own country, in Northern Ireland, where people who were involved in trying to kill, maim and bomb civilians, police officers,
Army officers and even politicians are now politicians themselves, involved in the governance of the country. It can happen."
Praising the growing Afghan security forces, Mr Cameron told Taliban members: "You cannot win this fight. You should give this up and join a political process. "
Mr Cameron also insisted that it was right to start withdrawing troops this
year and to end British combat operations in 2015.
"The British people deserve a deadline,'he said. "I do believe this is the right plan at the right time."
Mr Cameron will on Wednesday tell MPs that a "modest" troop reduction will come later this year.
But after resistance from his generals, combat forces will be unchanged until next autumn, allowing commanders two "fighting seasons".
Mr Cameron said the military mission was succeeding. Violence is down 40pc on last summer, he said. The number of terrorist plots now linked to the Afghan-Pakistan border area is also down, he said.
He added: "I'm confident we are on track."
source: David Cameron: Taliban could share power in Afghanistan like IRA terrorists - Telegraph
Britain has already confirmed that officials are in direct contact with some Taliban members seeking a peace deal. However, Mr Cameron's explicit offer of power-sharing to a group that has killed hundreds of British service personnel may raise eyebrows.
Speaking in Kabul after talks with President Hamid Karzai, Mr Cameron said that Afghanistan's long-term future lies in a negotiated settlement with the Taliban.
As the West ends its military mission in Aghanistsn, the Prime Minister called for greater efforts to "reconcile and reintegrate" Taliban members into Afghan politics.
The result could be an Ulster-style peace process, with Government posts for former Taliban members, he suggested. Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, is a former IRA commander.
Mr Cameron said: "The message to the Taliban is stop fighting, stop bombing, stop killing.
Join a political process and you can be part of the future of this country.
"I have seen it in my own country, in Northern Ireland, where people who were involved in trying to kill, maim and bomb civilians, police officers,
Army officers and even politicians are now politicians themselves, involved in the governance of the country. It can happen."
Praising the growing Afghan security forces, Mr Cameron told Taliban members: "You cannot win this fight. You should give this up and join a political process. "
Mr Cameron also insisted that it was right to start withdrawing troops this
year and to end British combat operations in 2015.
"The British people deserve a deadline,'he said. "I do believe this is the right plan at the right time."
Mr Cameron will on Wednesday tell MPs that a "modest" troop reduction will come later this year.
But after resistance from his generals, combat forces will be unchanged until next autumn, allowing commanders two "fighting seasons".
Mr Cameron said the military mission was succeeding. Violence is down 40pc on last summer, he said. The number of terrorist plots now linked to the Afghan-Pakistan border area is also down, he said.
He added: "I'm confident we are on track."
source: David Cameron: Taliban could share power in Afghanistan like IRA terrorists - Telegraph
