NATO allowed Taliban commander into Kabul
By IANSFriday, October 15, 2010
LONDON - NATO-led forces facilitated the passage of a senior Taliban commander to Kabul to hold talks with the Afghan government, a media report said Friday.
US General David Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said the move was part of the US and NATO support for President Hamid Karzai’s reconciliation discussions with the Taliban.
“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….aware of it and therefore allows it to take place,” China Daily quoted him as saying.
Petraeus told a gathering in London that several “very senior” Taliban leaders had reached out to the Afghan government and other countries engaged in Afghanistan. He, however, said the discussions were preliminary in nature.
“They certainly would not rise to the level of being called negotiations,” he added.
The US and NATO leaders said Thursday they were ready to help Afghan President Hamid Karzai pursue reconciliation efforts with the Taliban.
Pakistan said Friday it was willing to assist such talks.
