Taliban forces dismiss Afghan peace efforts as inadequate

Taliban forces announced that the current composition of the Peace Council and the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan make any attempt at establishing peace futile.

In an announcement which was delivered to the media, they dismiss the efforts to establish a Supreme Peace Council saying: “Creating this Council is a new trick from foreign powers and the project has no practical aspects.”

The Supreme Peace Council, which was proposed in the parliament by local Afghan leaders, has 68 members and its mandate is to establish peace between insurgents and the government.

The Taliban announcement maintains that the principles of peace require the Council to have a number of individuals who believe in the sanctity of peace and have never been involved in harassing innocent people.

The Supreme Peace Council includes a number of Mujahedin leaders who fought against Taliban for many years.

They also add that while over 150 thousand foreign troops are stationed in Afghanistan, the independence of such councils is not plausible.

They go on to deny recent statements by General David Petraeus, Commander of NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, who told the media recently that the Taliban have made peace “overtures” to the Afghan government and foreign forces.

They maintain that they have never considered talks with the “weak” government of Kabul.