Thursday, May 8, 2008

Ex-Prince Says Taliban Should be Part of New Government

Is it just me or we fighting the taliban because they allowed terrorists operate in their land who later attacked us in 9/11? Another thing we should be fighting the taliban is because they implemented sharia law, but even Afghanistan's current constitution is secondary to islamic law.
So, there should be no reason to let the taliban back into the government. Not even the 'moderate' ones. But thats what the ex-prince of Afghanistan is proposing. Reuters


KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan should set-up a transitional government that includes members of the Taliban once President Hamid Karzai's term ends late next year if it is to escape unending crisis, a grandson of the late former king said on Wednesday.

Once a prince, Mostafa Zaher now heads a department overseeing conservation issues in Karzai's government, and while the family royal family lacks a political powerbase it is often looked on as a symbol of national unity.

Like many Afghans, Zaher despairs that there is no end in sight to the Taliban insurgency, and conflict that has gripped the country since the late 1970s.
....
Less than two weeks ago, Taliban gunmen tried to assassinate Karzai while he attended a military parade near the presidential palace in Kabul.

Like the royal family, Karzai is a Pashtun. But he has struggled to garner support among fellow Pashtuns.

Most of the Taliban are Pashtuns too, and complaints are often voiced that the Pashtuns are under-represented in Karzai's government.

Zaher says the transitional administration he envisages would include members of the current government, along with members of the Taliban and other insurgent groups fighting U.S., NATO and government forces.

"We had enough of the war and fratricide. The Taliban are also the sons of this country," said Zaher, who fears Afghanistan could disintegrate unless the crisis ends.

"You do not make peace with your friends. You make peace with those who are against you. This is an intra-Afghan plan and we hope to bring on board all of dissatisfied people," he said.

The transitional government would summon a Loya Jirga, Afghanistan's traditional grand council of tribal leaders and elders, to determine how to change the system of government from a strong presidential system to one that revolved round parliament, Zaher said.

He denies harbouring political ambitions, but did not rule out the possibility of taking some role if he had people's backing.

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