Abdullah slams Karzai’s Taliban peace offer

The Afghan president’s main rival in last year’s elections has expressed doubt about the success of the government’s US-backed offer of peace with the Taliban.

“I don’t think that they know what they are talking about,” Abdullah Abdullah said on Saturday, noting that Karzai’s peace-at-any-price plan is “very vague.”

“Sometimes they give the perception that if everything is being done in order to reconcile tomorrow with the Taliban there will be peace,” added Abdullah.

He added that the developments could only lead to some minor peace deals at local levels.

Abdullah went on to explain that although the ongoing US-led military offensive could push some low-ranking Taliban militants to join peace talks, permanent victory depends on how civilians living in the area are treated.

“Militarily it could be a success but lasting success means that we have the people on our side. That’s winning the hearts and minds of the people and that’s the job of the Afghan government. So what sort of system replaces what was going on there, that’s important.”

He also blamed Pakistan for jeopardizing security in Afghanistan, saying Islamabad is a main supporter of the Taliban.

Abdullah’s comments came weeks after President Hamid Karzai proposed a US backed plan to talk militants into the country’s political structure. He hoped this would end the violence in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has repeatedly turned down the offer, demanding foreign forces leave the war-torn country first.