Rockets, gunfire mar Afghan peace jirga’s opening (Fourth Lead)

KABUL - At least three rockets landed Wednesday outside an Afghan peace assembly attended by hundreds of elders and lawmakers, and Taliban fighters battled troops shortly after President Hamid Karzai opened the meeting.

One rocket landed about 500 metres from the jirga tent in Kabul. Helicopters hovered over the area and the sound of small-arms fire was heard.

Three Taliban suicide bombers disguised in women’s clothes fired a rocket-propelled grenade and clashed with troops, presidential spokesman Wahid Omer said.

Two of the bombers were killed and the third had been detained, he said.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid took responsibility for the attacks, saying by telephone from an undisclosed location that they were aimed at stopping the jirga.

Karzai was delivering his opening speech when the first explosions took place. He was not hurt and continued speaking.

“Don’t worry. Sit down calmly, everything is fine. We are used to it. Everybody is used to it, even my 3-year-old son is used to it,” he said.

He called on Taliban fighters who have left Afghanistan because of the US-led NATO military offensive to return, vowing that his government would reintegrate them into civilian life.

“There are thousands of Taliban and others … they are not enemies of this country … but ordinary people, like you and me,” Karzai said.

“I am calling again, dear Talib brother, may God bring you back, don’t cause suffering to this country, and don’t destroy yourself,” he said, but added that he would never forgive militants who carried out attacks on civilians.

Karzai left the site in his motorcade after finishing his speech.

Farooq Wardak, the chairman of the jirga’s commission, said the situation was “100 percent under control” of security forces, as reports emerged that some participants left after the attacks began.

Around 1,600 tribal elders, members of parliament and provincial councils and religious leaders are attending the three-day jirga to discuss ways to reconcile with the Taliban.

The Taliban are boycotting the jirga, which they said was aimed at safeguarding the interests of the US and other NATO members.

The top UN envoy in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, said such attacks were expected.

“What would you expect if you are still in the conflict zone?” he said. “They (the attacks) are not going to derail the jirga.”

“After years of fighting, the Afghan people felt that it was the time to find a way for peace,” he said. “They (the participants) will be coming most likely up with a common line on how to discuss the further peace with those Taliban who are agreeing to do so.”

The participants elected former president Burhanuddin Rabani to chair the jirga.

The participants will discuss Karzai’s 36-page reconciliation plan in small groups. The assembly is scheduled to end Friday.