Afghan President Urges Taliban to Join Peace Talks Without Preconditions

The offer, made at the start of an international conference aimed at creating a platform for peace talks, adds to a series of signals from both the Kabul government and the Taliban suggesting a greater willingness to consider dialogue.
 
During the conference in Kabul, President Ghani proposed a ceasefire and a release of prisoners as part of a range of options including new elections, involving the militants and a constitutional review as part of a pact with the Taliban.
 
"We are making this offer without preconditions in order to lead to a peace agreement,” Mr Ghani said in opening remarks to the conference attended by officials from around 25 countries involved in the so-called Kabul Process.
 
“The Taliban are expected to give input to the peace-making process, the goal of which is to draw the Taliban, as an organization, to peace talks,” he said, adding that he would not “pre-judge” any group seeking peace.
 
In return for Ghani’s offer, the Taliban would have to recognize the Afghan government and respect the rule of law, he said.
 
The comments represented a significant shift for President Ghani, who in the past has regularly called the Taliban “terrorists” and “rebels” although he has also offered to talk with parts of the movement that accepted peace.
 
Taliban, however, has so far refused direct talks with Kabul.
 
But the Taliban have called for direct talks with the United States. Just a day before the start of the conference in Kabul, the Taliban released a statement calling for direct talks with Washington to find a “peaceful solution” to the long-running war. It said the US must recognize that the conflict cannot be solved militarily.
 
More than 16 years after the United States toppled a Taliban regime in an invasion of Afghanistan and despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops across the country, the Taliban are still carrying out militant attacks.