US commander signals peace talks with Taliban - "There's been enough fighting"

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US commander signals peace talks with Taliban

Gen Stanley McChrystal told the UK's Financial Times that there had been "enough fighting" and he wanted a political solution to the conflict.

"I'd like everybody to walk out of London with a renewed commitment, and that commitment is to the right outcome for the Afghan people," Gen McChrystal said.

"As a soldier, my personal feeling is that there's been enough fighting," Gen McChrystal told the Financial Times.

"I believe that a political solution to all conflicts is the inevitable outcome. And it's the right outcome," he said.

read: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8478076.stm


UN: lift sanctions on Taliban to build peace in Afghanistan

Kai Eide, special representative of the UN Secretary-General, told The Daily Telegraph he would also like to see a person-by-person review of detainees held in the Bagram American military prison to see if prisoners could be released.

He said: "I really do believe that the reintegration process by itself is not enough. It has to be a parallel political process.

"I think the time has come to initiate some confidence building measures in order to see if it's possible to create some momentum in that political process at the strategic level.

"One is the delisting from the sanctions list. To start on a person-by-person basis to take people off that list, to get that process going, I think that would have an important psychological effect and it would have a political effect."

read: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7067537/UN-lift-sanctions-on-Taliban-to-build-peace-in-Afghanistan.html


Pakistan reaching out to Afghan Taliban

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. ally Pakistan is reaching out to "all levels" of the Afghan Taliban in a bid to encourage reconciliation in its war-torn neighbour, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said a political solution was needed to stabilize Afghanistan and has emphasized that success would not be possible without the support of Pakistan.

"We are trying to reach out to them at all levels and all of us would like that our efforts should bring some results but at this point in time it is very difficult to say," ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said of Pakistan’s efforts.

We don’t want to discuss the specifics. There are efforts being made and we are trying to win over those Taliban or forces who are ’reconcilables’. Let’s see," he added.

read: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Pakistan+reaching+Afghan+Taliban/2477311/story.html