Miliband calls for world support in engaging militants

Davos: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband yesterday called on the international community to support Afghanistan in bringing the Taliban into the political fold as a means to ending the war.

"We need to support the Afghans in bringing the Taliban into the political ring," Miliband said, spelling out how this week's London conference on Afghanistan had recognised the need for a political end to the war.

"There are two red lines limiting who is welcome," said Miliband, who came from the London conference to speak at this week's World Economic Forum.

"One is that supporters of Al Qaida cannot join the process, and the other is the primacy of the Afghan constitution, which is definite on social rights and freedoms," he said.

Right to education

"For example, the inclusion of the Taliban does not mean that most of Afghanistan's daughters have to stop going to school."

A new determination to find an end to the violence in Afghanistan has led to this important shift in how the international community and the Afghan government see the Taliban.

There has been some form of consensus in the international community that since the war cannot end without a political solution, the Taliban cannot be treated as the enemy.

The new political dimension to the international partners' plans was welcomed by Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Gargash was speaking as the representative of one of the few Arab and Muslim states to have contributed forces to the international coalition in Afghanistan.

"It has taken us seven years to get to this point and recognise the limit of what force can do. It cannot conclude this conflict, and I welcome the crystalisation of the new political dimension, to compliment the existing military and developmental tracks," Gargash said.

Political shortcomings

Former Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah commented from the floor of the session that he welcomed the conclusions of the London conference, but doubted that the Karzai government would be able to deliver the political commitments and the good governance that the plan requires.

"Support for democracy is essential. If we lose the people, we lose the war," said Abdullah.

Abdullah spelt out how he feared the over-centralised decision-taking of the Karzai government and its failings in governance would lead to the people losing trust in their government.

Miliband was blunt in his acknowledgement of the shortcomings of the current Afghan political setup.

"Presidential rule cannot work in Afghanistan. We have created a top-down government in a highly decentralised society."