General Petraeus says NATO forces are facilitating Taliban talks

General Petraeus says NATO forces are facilitating Taliban talks

2010-10-16 01:04:29 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- General David Petraeus, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, on Friday said that NATO forces in Afghanistan have facilitated Taliban talks with the government of Afghanistan.

The head of the NATO forces in Afghanistan indicated that his troops have facilitated the safe passage of Taliban leaders to Kabul in support for Afghan President Hamid Karzai who is reportedly negotiating a truce with the rebels.

"And indeed in certain respects we do facilitate that, given that, needless to say, it would not be the easiest of tasks for a senior Taliban commander to enter Afghanistan and make his way to Kabul if ISAF were not witting and therefore aware of it and allows it to take place," Petraeus said, according to several British media reports.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said earlier this week that his government had unofficial contacts with the Taliban over a possible ending to the armed conflict that has lasted ten years. The U.S. did not fully approve the negotiations with terrorists but supported Karzai's decision to bring peace to the region.

However, a Taliban spokesman said on Wednesday that they have not engaged in secret or any kind of talks with the Afghan government as it would be a disrespect towards the men who are still fighting for their cause.

Additionally, Petraeus said that the presence of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban is weakening as coalition forces have killed or captured at least 300 suspected insurgents in the past three months. He also remarked that the terrorist's senior leaders were forced to go very deep underground. A message from Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden reportedly took four weeks to get out.

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