Karzai’s willingness to talk to Taliban gratifies US
February 22nd, 2012 - 2:06 pm ICT by IANS
Washington, Feb 22 (IANS) The US was pleased by the willingness expressed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to talk directly to the Taliban, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland has said.”I think we have been gratified to see President Karzai speaking out publicly in support of Afghan-to-Afghan reconciliation,” she told reporters at a briefing Tuesday, adding that the US had been working on this “for some time”.
Her comment came after Karzai issued a statement earlier Tuesday saying he was hopeful to have direct talks with the Taliban, reported Xinhua.
“Our goal is to work ourselves out of a job if that makes sense,” said Nuland. “Because when we get to the point where it’s Afghans and Afghans talking to each other, then we’ll really have a true reconciliation process.”
President Barack Obama Monday talked with Karzai over the phone on an array of strategic issues of mutual concern.
White House said the two leaders discussed “regional support for Afghan-led reconciliation, the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran trilateral meetings last week in Islamabad, and other strategic issues of mutual concern”.
- Obama, Karzai speak on strategic issues - Feb 21, 2012
- US confirms three-way talks with Taliban - Feb 17, 2012
- US see no mediatory role for India in Afghanistan - Oct 05, 2011
- India, US pitch for Afghan-led reconciliation process - Jan 20, 2012
- Obama, Karzai talk on Afghan situation - Mar 09, 2012
- Afghanistan seeks Indian equipment for security forces (Roundup) - May 01, 2012
- Afghanistan seeks Indian equipment for security forces (Lead) - May 01, 2012
- US committed to Afghan reconciliation process - Mar 16, 2012
- Karzai to brief India on new Taliban strategy - Oct 03, 2011
- India reminds Afghanistan of Taliban reconciliation 'red lines' - Jul 15, 2011
- Khar to visit Afghanistan Wednesday - Jan 31, 2012
- Pak rejects 'Gilani urges Karzai to dump US, ally with Islamabad' report as "baseless" - Apr 28, 2011
- India's security entwined with Afghanistan's stability: Krishna - May 01, 2012
- Krishna heading to Istanbul for Afghan conference - Oct 31, 2011
- India cautions Karzai against Taliban trap (Lead) - Apr 26, 2010
Tags: afghan president hamid karzai, afghanistan pakistan, afghans, array, barack obama, hamid karzai, islamabad, mutual concern, president hamid karzai, president karzai, regional support, spokesperson, state department, taliban, trilateral, true reconciliation, victoria nuland, white house, willingness, xinhua