Taliban presence at Peace Forum 'significant' turn in Afghan talks: US diplomat

Washington, July 13 (ANI): U.S. Ambassador to Kabul Ryan Crocker has said that a high-ranking Taliban member's presence at a recent peace conference represents a promising development in efforts to reach a negotiated end to the decade-long Afghan war.

Crocker said he viewed the appearance of Qari Din Mohammad Hanafi, the Taliban regime's Planning Minister, at the same table with Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai, senior adviser to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as a 'pretty amazing' event.

He said their appearance at the peace talks held in Kyoto, Japan, last month showed potential to be a negotiating track of its own.

"The Afghans thought it was significant. You had a senior member of the Taliban present-not reconciled-prepared to sit down with a senior member of the Afghan government," The Wall Street Journal quoted Crocker, as saying.

The ambassador's remarks come ahead of his expected exit from Kabul later this month.

When asked whether he thought the meeting represented a step for Afghan-to-Afghan reconciliation, Crocker said, 'there's definitely smoke-and some fire.'

According to the paper, Crocker speculated that the Kyoto meeting might have had some tacit support from Pakistan, where much of the top Taliban leadership is based.

He said Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, the country's powerful spy agency, was likely keeping tabs on insurgents and their travels.

"They had to get out of Pakistan to get there. My guess is that the ISI said, 'OK'," he added. (ANI)