Karzai links Mulla Omar’s security with peace talks

KABUL, : Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday he would guarantee security for Taliban leader Mullah Omar if he ever wanted to negotiate and said Western allies should remove him or leave if they disagreed with that.

With the Taliban insurgency spreading seven years after the hardliner Islamists were forced from power, the possibility of talks with more moderate Taliban leaders is increasingly being considered, both in Afghanistan and among its allies.

The Afghan government said it is willing to talk to anyone who recognizes the constitution.

A tentative first step towards talks was taken in September when a group of pro-government Afghan officials and former Taliban officials met in Saudi Arabia for discussions on how to end the conflict.

But the Taliban rejected any suggestion of talks as long as foreign troops remain.

Karzai told a news conference he would guarantee the safety of notorious Taliban leader Mullah Omar, if he ever wanted to talk peace.

“If I hear from him that he is willing to come to Afghanistan or to negotiate for peace … I, as the president of Afghanistan, will go to any length providing protection,” Karzai said.

“If I say I want protection for Mullah Omar, the international community has two choices: remove me or leave if they disagree,” he said.