With parliamentary elections out of the way on Saturday, the Afghan leadership is once again focusing on opening a dialogue with the Taliban.
Waheed Omar, chief spokesman for Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai said on Monday a list of around 60 individuals was being drawn who will pursue talks with the Taliban. This group will be part of the High Council for Peace and Reconciliation that Mr. Karzai had mooted, in the wake of the Afghan National Consultative Peace Jirga that had convened in July.
“To bring peace and accelerate reconciliation process the government has finalised the names of the members of High Council for Peace and Reconciliation that will be announced very soon,” said Mr. Omer during his weekly press briefing in Kabul. He pointed out that the announcement of the names of the Council members had been earlier planned for Saturday.
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The Taliban has so far rejected participation in talks, citing the presence of foreign troops on Afghan soil as the chief impediment.
The preparations for talks are taking place amid a reshuffling of foreign troops in Afghanistan's Helmand province. British troops are moving out of the turbulent Sangin area in Helmand, being replaced by U.S. forces. The Sangin area, a town centre with a population of 20,000 is a supply route through which men, money and drugs pass. British troops have been there since 2006.