Karzai would be ‘wise to leave with US forces’ before Taliban retakes Afghanistan
Published time: June 26, 2013 02:28
Hamid Karzai is unlikely to remain president of Afghanistan after US troops leave the country, defense consultant Moeen Raoof told RT. The Taliban, a longtime enemy of the US-backed Karzai administration, is expected to regain control after 11 years.
RT: The US State Department is hesitating to define the Taliban’s current status - whether it is a terrorist group, a political force, or both. Why is it so reticent?
Moeen Raoof: I don’t think they are dealing with the actual Taliban, because Mullah Omar has not endorsed the starting up of the office in Doha. So the Americans are not sure who they are dealing with, and if they are dealing with the Taliban, it’s probably Taliban light. Mullah Omar is a very powerful person, and he has to sign off on these kinds of peace talks. And Secretary Kerry seems to be stumbling all the time. He is stumbling with the peace talks in Syria, and all of a sudden there is confusion about the peace talks in Doha, Qatar. So I’m not sure that they are really talking to the Taliban directly.
RT: What about the current government in Afghanistan? How strong is it?
MR: President Karzai hasn’t got a chance in hell to remain in power once US forces would leave in 2014. Let’s go back to President Najibullah – he was forcibly removed from the UN offices and he was massacred in the streets and hung up…I think that if Karzai is a wise man, he would leave with the US forces. But given that US forces are planning to remain in Afghanistan, maybe that gives him some leeway to remain in power for a while.
RT: What if Karzai did leave? Who would take over the leadership of Afghanistan?
MR: Well, the Taliban is going to move in. They have stated that they are going to move in and protect the country. This has been their policy for a long time…They are going to take back power and protect the country. They are very fundamentalist about this viewpoint.
RT: If the Taliban is to take control of Afghanistan, will more than a decade of death and destruction have been a waste of time?
MR: Yes, completely. Remember the 9/11 attacks were done by a Saudi Arabian, and they [the US] went and attacked Afghanistan. Why did they not go and attack Saudi Arabia? The strategy to attack Afghanistan was completely flawed. They didn’t think this through. They’d go after one man and destroy a whole nation. It was a flawed policy by the Pentagon and the US administration. So yes, the Taliban is going to move in and take over power. And Mullah Omar has not stated that he endorses these peace talks, because [the Taliban] does not operate and does not want any external interference in the affairs of the nation.
RT: The Taliban has opened a “political office” in Qatar. If it eventually takes over in Afghanistan, will the world be forced to recognize it as a legitimate government?
MR: They have no choice. Who are these representatives in Doha? Are they representing Mullah Omar or the Taliban high command? We don’t know. We don’t have the answers for that.
RT: Do people in Afghanistan really want the Taliban government?
MR: Well, it’s not everyone’s preference, no.
US, Russia Fail to Reach Deal on Syria Peace Talks
Five Hours of Geneva Talks End Without a Deal
by Jason Ditz, June 25, 2013
The Geneva conference on the Syrian Civil War was supposed to take place in June, but the only talks that ever happened in Geneva came today, when the US and Russia spent five solid hours trying to reach a deal on the talks.
And failing. The five hours of talks between US and Russian officials centered on who would be allowed to attend the peace talks, which are a bit short on attendees anyhow since the US-backed rebels have repeatedly ruled out showing up.
But Iran might. Or at least they’re open to attending, though the US is holding up the talks saying any appearance by Iran is unacceptable. Russia is pushing to either allow Iran or to exclude third party nations backing the rebels.
June is already clearly out for talks, and while UN officials had expressed hope that they might be able to make a deal by July, there’s a good chance that the US and Russia still won’t be able to reach a deal then either.
Turkmen Demonstrators, Young Athletes Among 53 Killed, 142 Wounded in Iraq
by Margaret Griffis, June 25, 2013
Today’s attacks focused on a group of Turkmen demonstrators in Tuz Khormato and football players near Baghdad. Shi’ite pilgrims and security officials were also targeted. At least 53 people were killed and 142 were wounded across the country.
Two suicide bombers in Tuz Khormato killed at least 27 people attending a demonstration calling for more security. Most of the casualties were members of the Turkmen minority. The head of the Turkmen Front and the assistant governor wereamong the dead. As many as 80 people were wounded.
In Baghdad, a bomb attached to a bus carrying young football players killed four players and wounded 15 more after a match in Zaafaraniya. Gunmen at a church inAmin wounded three guards.
A bomb near a football field in Baquba left eight youths dead and 18 more woundedwhen it exploded.
Five Shi’ite pilgrims were killed when a bomb exploded on a bus near Iskandariya; at least 13 were also wounded.
Four soldiers were killed in Nineva province during a bombing targeting a patrol.
A sticky bomb exploded on a car traveling near Ramadi, killing the driver and wounding three passengers.
A roadside bomb near Tikrit left two soldiers dead and one more wounded.
In Mosul, a roadside bomb targeting the governor wounded four bodyguards instead. The injury count in last night’s bombing rose by five to fifteen wounded.
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