Taleban now open to talks if security is guaranteed

From Fazle Rashid | Published: March 18, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

From Fazle Rashid
NEW YORK, Mar 17: All three parties involved in the war in Afghanistan -- the government, the US and Taleban -- are looking for a negotiated settlement. The Talebans have moved away from their once intractable stand about no dialogue before foreign troops withdrawal. They are now saying that they are open to discussion if their security is guaranteed. Talebans are also insisting that the UN sanctions on some of their leaders be lifted. In the Middle East, Palestinian leadership on two sides of aisle are willing to end their rivalry and forge a unity. The move of unity surfaced after Israel displayed weapons seized from a ship that it claims were bound for Hamas. Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to meet with Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. It would be first meeting between the rival groups since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. In north Africa, the US administration is now pushing for an UN resolution authorising bombing of Libyan tanks and artillery to halt the advances of the forces loyal to Gaddafi. The United States insists that military actions must have the backing of the UN and the Arab League. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is hopeful that the UN would pass a resolution today to authorise military action. John Kerry of Democratic Party criticised the US administration for delaying actions in Libya, thus, embolding Gaddafi to launch fierce offensive against the pro-democracy activists. Meanwhile, taking cue from Gaddafi, the government in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain used tanks and helicopters in a bid to crush the demand for reforms. Bahrain's Sunni monarch has declared a state of emergency and imposed curfew. The US President Obama had telephonic conversations with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and King Hamad Khalifa of Bahrain and urged both to exercise maximum restraint. The President underlined the importance of a political settlement. In a separate development in Asia, China yesterday announced, following the devastation of nuclear plants in Japan in recent earthquake and tsunami that has put all future nuclear plants for electricity into jeopardy, that it was suspending the approval of its nuclear power plants. This will put brakes on a development programme that accounts for 40 per cent of world's planned reactors. The UN said the situation is very grave, an analyst said.