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New US strategy to re-integrate Taliban
Friday, 22 Jan, 2010
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British Foreign Minister David Miliband, left, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Afghanistan strategy. Richard Holbrooke, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department, listens at right. AP
Pakistan
Gates stresses common cause with Pakistan
Gates stresses common cause with Pakistan
WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday announced plans to re-integrate Taliban insurgents back into the mainstream, with the process envisaged to achieve success by July 2011, a timeframe matching US plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
If the strategy goes according to US plans, a limited number of groups and individuals will be reintegrated by December 2010, reducing the size of the security problem.
The stabilization strategy as envisioned by the US, gives president Karzais government a lead role for appointing a committee of Afghanistans National Security Council to develop an Afghan government reintegration program.
The strategy plans giving guarantees to militant commanders that they will not be arrested or killed while negotiating re-integration.
By re-engaging the militant commanders, US believes that a number of key Afghan districts under Taliban control will decrease by July 2011.
While the US green-signalled back-channel talks through Saudi Arabia and Pakistan with the Taliban, they will now be officially re-integrated according to a statement issued from the office of special envoy Richard Holbrooke.
A cell will be set up in the US Embassy in Kabul to coordinate efforts, with a budgetary allocation of $100 million.
Additional funding support has also been promised by UK, Japan, Netherlands and other countries.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai also unveiled the plan on Friday where he spoke about offering money and jobs to tempt Taliban fighters to lay down their arms and return to civilian life.
His comments in an interview with the BBC came as US Defence Secretary Robert Gates described the Taliban as part of Afghanistan's political fabric but said any future role would depend on insurgents laying down their weapons.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also unveiled a long-term non-military strategy to stabilise Afghanistan and Pakistan that calls for sending in more civilian experts and bringing extremists back into mainstream society.
We know as the Afghan people we must have peace at any cost, Karzai said in the television interview aired Friday ahead of an international conference on Afghanistan in London next week.
Those that we approach to return will be provided with the abilities to work, to find jobs, to have protection, to resettle in their own communities.
Hardline Taliban supporters, who were members of al Qaeda or other terror groups, would not be accepted, Karzai said, adding that he expected the plan to be announced at the London conference on Thursday.
The Taliban gives its volunteers higher salaries than the Afghan government can afford to pay its forces, and the president said his project would have international backing to provide the necessary funds.
My presidency is weak in regard to the means of power, which means money, which means equipment, which means manpower, which means capacity, he said.
In Washington, Clinton announced on Thursday a civilian strategy to rebuild the Afghan farm sector, improve governance, and bring extremists back into mainstream society.
Friday, 22 Jan, 2010
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British Foreign Minister David Miliband, left, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Afghanistan strategy. Richard Holbrooke, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department, listens at right. AP
Pakistan
Gates stresses common cause with Pakistan
Gates stresses common cause with Pakistan
WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday announced plans to re-integrate Taliban insurgents back into the mainstream, with the process envisaged to achieve success by July 2011, a timeframe matching US plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
If the strategy goes according to US plans, a limited number of groups and individuals will be reintegrated by December 2010, reducing the size of the security problem.
The stabilization strategy as envisioned by the US, gives president Karzais government a lead role for appointing a committee of Afghanistans National Security Council to develop an Afghan government reintegration program.
The strategy plans giving guarantees to militant commanders that they will not be arrested or killed while negotiating re-integration.
By re-engaging the militant commanders, US believes that a number of key Afghan districts under Taliban control will decrease by July 2011.
While the US green-signalled back-channel talks through Saudi Arabia and Pakistan with the Taliban, they will now be officially re-integrated according to a statement issued from the office of special envoy Richard Holbrooke.
A cell will be set up in the US Embassy in Kabul to coordinate efforts, with a budgetary allocation of $100 million.
Additional funding support has also been promised by UK, Japan, Netherlands and other countries.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai also unveiled the plan on Friday where he spoke about offering money and jobs to tempt Taliban fighters to lay down their arms and return to civilian life.
His comments in an interview with the BBC came as US Defence Secretary Robert Gates described the Taliban as part of Afghanistan's political fabric but said any future role would depend on insurgents laying down their weapons.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also unveiled a long-term non-military strategy to stabilise Afghanistan and Pakistan that calls for sending in more civilian experts and bringing extremists back into mainstream society.
We know as the Afghan people we must have peace at any cost, Karzai said in the television interview aired Friday ahead of an international conference on Afghanistan in London next week.
Those that we approach to return will be provided with the abilities to work, to find jobs, to have protection, to resettle in their own communities.
Hardline Taliban supporters, who were members of al Qaeda or other terror groups, would not be accepted, Karzai said, adding that he expected the plan to be announced at the London conference on Thursday.
The Taliban gives its volunteers higher salaries than the Afghan government can afford to pay its forces, and the president said his project would have international backing to provide the necessary funds.
My presidency is weak in regard to the means of power, which means money, which means equipment, which means manpower, which means capacity, he said.
In Washington, Clinton announced on Thursday a civilian strategy to rebuild the Afghan farm sector, improve governance, and bring extremists back into mainstream society.
