Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Energy News .




THE STANS
Afghan Taliban leader hails 'legitimate' peace talks
By Emal HAIDARY
Kabul (AFP) July 15, 2015


Taliban leader Mullah Omar Wednesday hailed as "legitimate" peace talks aimed at ending Afghanistan's 13-year war, in his first comments on the nascent dialogue, easing concerns that it lacked the leadership's backing.

Afghan officials sat down with Taliban cadres last week in Murree, a tourist town in the hills north of Islamabad, Pakistan, for their first face-to-face talks aimed at ending the bloody insurgency.

They agreed to meet again in the coming weeks, drawing international praise, but many militant commanders openly questioned the legitimacy of the Taliban negotiators, exposing dangerous faultlines within the movement.

But in his annual message before Eid-ul-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the reclusive leader backed negotiations -- though he did not refer specifically to last week's meeting.

"If we look into our religious regulations, we can find that meetings and even peaceful interactions with the enemies is not prohibited," he said in a statement on the Taliban's website.

"Concurrently with armed jihad, political endeavours and peaceful pathways for achieving these sacred goals is a legitimate Islamic principle."

Several informal meetings have been held in recent months between Taliban representatives and Afghan officials and activists, but last week's meeting is seen as a significant step forward.

Afghan officials have not said when and where the next round of negotiations will take place, but it is widely expected to be conducted after Eid.

- Fears of IS emergence -

Wednesday's statement marks the first comments on the process from Mullah Omar, about whom rumours of ill-health and even death regularly emerge.

In the absence of a clear lead from the top, some fighters have fallen back on the Taliban's traditional position, that there can be no meaningful talks until all foreign forces leave Afghan soil.

NATO ended its combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of December, but a smaller residual force remains in the country to train Afghan forces, due to leave altogether by the end of 2016.

But Wednesday's statement is "different from previous Taliban statements", said Kabul-based political analyst Ahmad Saeedi.

"In addition to war, the Taliban leader talks about peace and negotiations," Saeedi told AFP.

"There is no doubt a gradual change is developing in the Taliban's attitude. It is now for the Afghan government to use this golden opportunity and engage them smartly."

But talks are dependent on another contributing factor -- the emergence of a local branch of the Islamic State, the Middle Eastern jihadist outfit that last year declared a "caliphate" across large areas of Iraq and Syria that it controls.

The Taliban warned IS last month against expanding in the region, but this has not stopped some fighters, inspired by the group's success, defecting to swear allegiance to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi instead of the invisible Mullah Omar.

US drone strikes over the past week have killed dozens of suspected IS-linked cadres in Afghanistan, including the group's Afghanistan-Pakistan regional chief Hafiz Saeed.

The notoriously uncompromising IS has shown no desire to negotiate -- and if the Taliban faultlines widen, there is a danger the talks process could drive more of its hardline fighters into the arms of the Middle Eastern jihadist group.

"We have... directed all our mujahideen to preserve their unity and forcefully prevent all those elements who attempt to create differences, damage this jihadi front," Omar's statement said in an oblique reference to IS.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
News From Across The Stans






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








THE STANS
Behind the veil: China policies hurt minority businesses
Kashgar, China (AFP) July 14, 2015
The Silk Road trading centre of Kashgar has been Muslim for centuries, but despite hordes of people thronging the main bazaar, Gulnur's headscarf shop had barely any customers. As violence increased last year in China's far western region of Xinjiang, home to mostly Muslim Uighurs, authorities banned veils and other Islamic coverings - wreaking havoc on her business. "We're all branded ... read more


THE STANS
Climate: EU parliament backs reform of carbon market

Scientists issue carbon price call to curb climate change

Fossil fuels, low-carbon plans, in tug-of-war

New formula expected to spur advances in clean energy generation

THE STANS
Distributed technique for power 'scheduling' advances smart grid concept

Single-catalyst water splitter produces clean-burning hydrogen 24/7

Engineers break power and distance barriers for fiber optic comms

Can heat be controlled as waves?

THE STANS
Can you actually hear 'inaudible' sound?

Con Edison Development Continues to Build Its Wind Power Portfolio

Green shoots for Aussie renewables as Ararat Wind Farm moves ahead

Viaducts with wind turbines, the new renewable energy source

THE STANS
Fields of Solar: 67.3MW Solar Portfolio Added to North Carolina Crop

WA solar proposal would reduce red tape, improve choice for consumers

CEC Brings Solar Solution to major US Municipal Utility

Depletion and enrichment of chlorine in perovskites observed

THE STANS
Russia Will Start Selling Enriched Uranium to Europe

Neutrons find 'missing' magnetism of plutonium

Putin, Zuma consider development of South African nuclear energy priority

Japan reactor refuelled for restart, despite opposition

THE STANS
Tropical peatland carbon losses from oil palm plantations may be underestimated

How do biofuel perennials affect the water cycle?

Scientists study ways to integrate biofuels and food crops on farms

Biogas to biomethane by water absorption column at low pressure and temps

THE STANS
Chinese earth station is for exclusively scientific and civilian purposes

Cooperation in satellite technology put Belgium, China to forefront

China set to bolster space, polar security

China's super "eye" to speed up space rendezvous

THE STANS
Air travel and climate: A potential new feedback?

Volcanic eruptions slow down climate change - temporarily

World Bank urges 'substantial' pre-2020 climate funds

UNICEF warns of child deaths in N. Korea drought




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.