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Karzai renews call for Taliban to lay down weapons

Afghan president renews call to Taliban to lay down weapons, help rebuild Afghanistan

 

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(KABUL, Afghanistan) Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on the Taliban and other extremist groups Friday to lay down their weapons and participate in rebuilding the battered country, as part of reconciliation efforts he has said will be his main objective during his second term.

Karzai's appeal, made in a message marking the major Muslim holiday of Eid, came two days after the reclusive Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, issued a statement ruling out talks with the president and calling on Afghans to break off relations with his "stooge" administration.

The hard-line militia has long refused to negotiate with Karzai's government or join what it considers a puppet administration.

"From the Taliban, from Hezb-e-Islami and all our other brothers who stand armed against their country, I hope that for the peace, stability and development of their country, they come back to their homeland, their families," Karzai said. Hezb-e-Islami is a militant Islamic faction led by warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Asked about Omar's message, which was posted on a Web site used by the Taliban on Wednesday, Karzai reiterated a commitment to talks.

"We will continue to invite them until peace and stability come to this country," he said.

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 05/09/2009 8:14:33 AM

    the afghan massacres make the american and afghan army the greatest terrorists on the globe today -their atrocities belittle what the red army did in the eighties and nature will not absolve these two terrorist states as god never forgives spillinig of innocent blood .-contemptible and cowaedly

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 05/08/2009 1:08:30 PM

    by tomorrow they will claim that al qaeda killed the afghani civilians to turn the civilians against the NATO -LOLZ
    AND whats with the worst massacre since 2001 -there have been many worst and larger then these -
    i recently read the accounts of the brit majors who confessed they have unintentionally killed a lot of villagers -may the lord forgive the sinners amen

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 04/14/2009 6:47:05 PM

    taleban killed them for a crime of passion -MAYBE HOLLYWOOD SHOULD CHURN OUT A TRASHY BLOCKBUSTER to indulge the american sense and sensibility over american juicial system -
    WHERE OJ SIMPSON RULEZ THE ROOST AND WALKS OUT OF A MISTRIAL AFTER A GLOBAL TELEVISED DOUBLE MURDER TO GLORIFY THE -
    AMERICAN FAIR LAW AND JUSTICE WHILE KENNEDYS DATE RAPE AND THEN MAKE A MOCKERY OF THEIR RAPE VICTIMS IN AMERICAN COURTS on the great american media which televises the dogs and rape trials of the rich for the benefit of the bourgeios to educate the intellectual american masses -
    I AM just speculating as to whether the taleban were inspired in their mis demeanour by the perverse travesty of the fiendish examples set as an awesome examplary deed of inspiration inspiration by their inglorious invading alien allies

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