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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Karzai ends first round of talks with insurgents

Deb Riechmann Riechmann And Amir Shah Associated Press

KABUL – President Hamid Karzai and representatives of a major militant group wrapped up a first round of peace talks Tuesday, reaching no final deal but pledging to continue a dialogue that could split the ranks of the Taliban-led insurgency.

The talks with Hizb-i-Islami were the first public face-to-face negotiations in the capital between Karzai and representatives of an insurgent group. Hizb-i-Islami, led by former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is far smaller than the Taliban but is active in at least four provinces of eastern Afghanistan and parts of the north.

Its defection from the insurgency would be a coup for Karzai and could encourage some members of the Taliban to explore their own peace deals.

The talks come ahead of a three-day peace conference the Afghan government is hosting the first week of May in Kabul. Hizb-i-Islami negotiators said they had not yet decided whether the group would be represented at the gathering.

The delegation plans to leave later this week and submit a report to Hekmatyar. Members said that would take 15 to 20 days because Hekmatyar is in hiding.

Karzai’s spokesman, Waheed Omar, said the government expressed hope for future talks, but said it was too early to judge progress. He also made clear there were some conditions in Hizb-i-Islami’s 15-point peace plan that were unacceptable, including the rapid withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops.

“There are some values like the constitution of Afghanistan, respecting human rights and some other issues that the Afghan people and the Afghan government are not willing to deal on,” Omar said.

Delegates did not meet with U.S. officials in Kabul, but one member, Qaribur Rahman Saeed, hinted the U.S. was not standing on the sidelines, saying “we have channels in the U.S. through our representatives.”