Deal on safe passage for fighters, security for Mulla Omar is in offing it looks; Karzai says Omar must renounce terrorism; NA announces ceasefire; US rejects move. The News..
Taliban announced to hand over Kandahar to former Mujahid commander Naqibullah so as wrap up the Kandahar battle in "a respectable manner". The fate of Omar remained a major question, with the newly appointed Afghan leader saying the Taliban supreme leader would have to distance himself from terrorism but leaving unclear if he would be arrested, as the United States has demanded. "Those are the details that we still have to work out. I'm not saying anything right now," Hamid Karzai, head of the US-backed interim government that is expected to take over later this month, told The Associated Press.
In Washington, US Defence Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld said the United States would not stand for any deal that allowed Omar to remain free and "live in dignity" in the region. "Our cooperation and assistance with those people would clearly take a turn south if something were to be done in respect to the senior people in that situation that is inconsistent with what I have said," Rumsfeld said.
However, Karzai told AP that the Taliban would surrender to him and he had designated Naqibullah and another Pashtun leader, Gul Agha, to collect the weapons. Naqibullah maintained good relations with the Taliban during their five years in power. Karzai said ordinary Taliban fighters would be free to return to their homes but the fate of Omar remained to be decided.
Taliban would start withdrawal from their stronghold from Friday (today). The withdrawal would take some days, he added. Zaeef also told journalists that the Taliban fighters would also lay down their weapons to the new administration. |
