Taliban chief blames US for breakdown of Doha talks

Why do we have to negotiate with the Taliban - all those people - especially all those Afghans let alone our own boys - died for nothing? Are we doing this just to keep Karzai in power? Thank heavens the talks have broken down at least for now.

Gulf Times - 07 August, 2013

Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar has blamed the US and its allies for creating ‘obstacles’ in the path of peace in Afghanistan following the opening of the group’s Political Office in Qatar.

In an Eid message released to the media yesterday, the elusive leader also warned that the Taliban would not stop their attacks until all the US and Nato troops withdraw from Afghanistan, and rejected all aspirations of the US and Kabul administrations to have a continued presence of foreign troops after 2014.

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Recent events

Yesterday there was a blow to peace in Afghanistan as Burhanuddin Rabbani was killed. He was the man whom Karzia was trying to work with to stabalise the country, working towards a peaceful solution in Afghanistan. But the Taliban envoys look ready to tip the country into an even deeper crisis, and this must be what they want.
I have friends in the country, who are now preparing to leave. Sadly as they have made so many friends amongst the Afghans, who were sad to see them go.
A difficult time for any of us to go to the Afghanistan, but we should try for the sake of people there!

Another Afghan Official Murdered

The mayor of Kandahar, Ghulam Haidar Hameedi, has been killed in a suicide attack.

The perpetrator detonated explosives hidden in his turban as the mayor made an address to tribal officials, discussing a land dispute. This is not the first time an attack has been made by hiding a bomb in a turban but tradition dictates that turbans must not be removed.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, which coincides with the start of the security handover from NATO to local troops. They claim that the attack was in response to the deaths of two children which had occurred after Hameedi ordered the demolition of 200 illegally constructed houses.

Hameedi was a popular mayor by all accounts, who stood up to the militia and encouraged the building of roads and public buildings. The BBC report refers to him as ‘competent and trusted’.

The US Ambassador offered his condolences and sincere regret at the loss of yet another top Afghan official. Karzai’s senior aide was assassinated a week ago and it has been just two weeks since President Karzai’s brother was killed in the very same city.

Kandahar was the countries designated capital during Taliban rule until 2006 so it is unsurprising that much of their efforts have been centred here.

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http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/07/27/mayor-death-wont-affect-ongoing-projects-wesa

Taliban to make peace?

On July 14^th, two members of the Afghan parliament held a press conference, announcing that that they had met with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar over a year ago.

During this meeting he agreed on an outline for peace negotiations with the Kabul government.

There were further claims that this had been approved by President Karzai himself. Omar was said to have signed an agreement that he himself revised but this was rejected by the president.

The president’s office say that they have doubts that the signature on the document is truly Mr Omar’s.

http://www.rferl.org/content/gandhara_afghan_legislators_claim_to_have_met_with_taliban_chief/24266866.htm