Afghan gov't reconciliation plan for Taliban to hit snag

by Abdul Haleem

KABUL, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Afghan president Hamid Karzai is expected to seek international support for a new initiative to bring Taliban insurgents into mainstream of society and ensure lasting peace in the country at the London conference on Thursday.

Local analysts, however, say that the plan will not be easy to achieve its goal.

The ambitious plan, according to local media, offers jobs, land and pension to militants in order to attract them to return to normal life.

Furthermore, President Karzai has proposed removing the names of some Taliban leaders from the U.N. terrorist black list, a move backed by Kai Eide, the top U.N. representative to Afghanistan as a prelude to direct peace talks with Taliban members.

However, experts are skeptical about the implementation of the initiative keeping in minds Taliban inflexibility.

Who are Taliban and to whom the Karzai administration wants to talk? Taliban militants have been fighting the Afghan government and the NATO troops under a shadowy leadership since it was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion eight years ago.

Taliban's elusive supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has not been seen for long and some Afghans even doubt his existence.

Offering talks for Taliban is not a new idea. Karzai has repeatedly vowed his readiness for talks over the past couple of years, but Mullah Omar who is still at large has so far refused to negotiate with the Karzai administration as long as the foreign troops stay in Afghanistan.

The Afghan government believes Omar hides in Pakistan but Islamabad rejects the claim.

Former Taliban regime's envoy to the U.N. Abdul Hakim Mujahid said recently that militants are underground, well organized, loyal to Omar and strictly abide by his orders. He added that any Taliban member who deserted the extremist group would be isolated and punished.

For example, Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Salam who surrendered to the government in early 2007 in the southern restive Helmand province has paid heavy price as his former comrades have frequently targeted him, killing several of his men including his son.

Another Taliban commander Mullah Khaksar was killed by his friend-turned foes in Kandahar after surrendering to the government.

Will U.S. support the plan?

Backing dialogue with al-Qaida-allied Taliban would lead the American people to ask their government how the bad guys the terrorists changed into political force?

Local experts say Karzai's reconciliation plan could also trigger controversy over the justification of the presence of over 113,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan as their mission is fighting terrorism, or they have to go home.

Since Karzai has promised to provide job, land and pension to Taliban fighters if they renounce violence and accept Afghanistan' s constitution, expert believe the lucrative offer would encourage tens of thousands of jobless and impoverished Afghans to pretend to be Taliban militants in order to benefit from the incentives.

The Taliban fighters who launched a violent offensive four years ago have regarded the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as an occupying force and have vowed to continue Jihad or holy war till the eviction of foreign troops from the war-torn country.

Taliban do not accept Afghanistan's constitution which guarantees women's right to election and education, democracy and freedom of press.

A Taliban spokesman named Qari Yusuf Ahmadi said the Taliban fighters are fighting for the freedom of their country and will not be lured by money.