The U.S. government has launched into three-way peace talks with the Afghan government and Taliban. The talks come as Afghan President Hamid Karzai also visits Pakistan in a bid to press for that country’s cooperation. Click below to find out more.
Pakistan is vital because the leaders of both the Taliban and the affiliated Haqqani network are thought to be based in the country and in contact with Pakistani intelligence officials.
The senior military official said the three-way talks are just one of several developments officials are monitoring.
“The talks are something we, of course, are conscious of and are watching, but there are other issues that we are interested in resolving, such as detention facilities control, night operations and the future growth of the Afghan Army,” the official said. “These are all ongoing.”
The United States may be looking to wind down the military operation in Afghanistan at an accelerated pace. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said this month that he hopes U.S. and NATO forces can “transition from a combat role” by mid-to-late 2013. U.S. and NATO forces face a 2014 withdrawal deadline.
An Obama administration official told Fox News that “an Afghan peace process” is key to the overall strategy in the war.
“Insurgencies generally end with a political settlement and we believe Afghanistan needs a political process to help put an end to this conflict,” the official said. “Our military campaign has set the conditions for initial reconciliation discussions to begin taking place.”
The official, while not going into detail, said “the government of Afghanistan has been kept fully informed of our discussions.”
The official said the conditions are clear — the Taliban must “break from Al Qaeda, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan Constitution, including its provisions on respect for the rights of all Afghans, including women and ethnic minorities.”
