Karzai puts faith in King Abdullah

Afghanistan: President Hamid Karzai yesterday emphasised the role of Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz in reconciliation efforts with elements of the Taliban not involved in terrorism.

Karzai told the Munich Security Conference that he sees no meaningful reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan without King Abdullah's involvement.

"Afghans believe deeply and truly in Islam and King Abdullah, who as the custodian of the two holy mosques, can create means of reconciliation as he enjoys the respect of the Afghan citizens."

Karzai called on Afghanistan's neighbours to play a constructive role in ensuring the security and integration of the nation.

Neighbours' role

"China, India and Turkey could be quite helpful in achieving security and integration in Afghanistan... Pakistan should work, especially after the rise of terrorism on Pakistani soil, with the Afghanistan government to eliminate radical groups."

Improving the situation "means enabling Afghanistan to deliver services to the people and removing any parallel activity to that of the Afghan government", Karzai said. Nato-led reconstruction teams, non-governmental organisations, international aid groups and bodies such as the United Nations "must be a support to the Afghan government, not a rival to it", Karzai said, repeating the phrase four times to hammer home the point.

Karzai hoped that Afghanistan will have 300,000 to 400,000 capable police and security personnel by 2012. But he added that fighting international terrorism and Al Qaida should remain a global issue.

An Afghani woman, who was attending the conference and spoke on condition of anonymity, said a red line should be drawn on the concessions given to the Taliban as part of the reconciliation process.

She feared such an effort could erase all the achievements realised in the last eight years, especially those related to the liberation of Afghani women.

US envoy Richard Holbrooke said Washington is not in "direct contact" with the Taliban as part of re-integration efforts.

"The press, since London, has been kind of obsessed with the idea that there are all sorts of secret talks going on with the Taliban. So I want to state very clearly that our nation is not involved in any direct contact with the Taliban," he said.

Washington and its allies agreed in London to support Karzai's efforts to persuade insurgents not ideologically committed to the Taliban or Al Qaida to abandon weapons and take up jobs.