U.S Takes Possible Step Toward Taliban Peace Talks

KABUL: (MEP) – The U.S. government may make a major step toward peace talks with the Taliban this week with the release of a number of detainees from Guantanamo Bay in return for the only American soldier still held captive by militants in Afghanistan.

If the exchange moves forward, it could be the practical step toward reconciliation talks that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has demanded the U.S. take before he signs the still pending Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).

However, Washington continues to deny any direct talks with the Taliban and remains hazy on the details of the possible prisoner swap.

“We are not involved in active negotiations with the Taliban,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said. “Clearly, if negotiations do resume, at some point then we will want to talk with the Taliban about the safe return of Sergeant Bergdahl.”

Bowe Bergdahl has been held captive by militants in Afghanistan since 2009.

“With respect to Guantanamo, the President reiterated when he signed the fiscal year 2014 Defense Authorization Act that this administration will not transfer a detainee unless the threat the detainee may pose can be sufficiently mitigated and only when consistent with our humane treatment policy,” Carney said regarding the possibility of an exhange deal for Sergeant Bergdahl.

Despite Washington’s official statements, however, reliable sources inside the U.S. government were said to have told Reuters that American officials have in fact met with Taliban leaders in Qatar.

Among the five Taliban members that could potentially be released from Guantanamo Bay are Mullah Khairullah Khairkhaw and Muhammad Fazil.

The Afghan government has not officially commented on the possible exchange, which would likely signal the first step in getting the Taliban to broader peace talks if followed through on.

But the High Peace Council (HPC) has praised the strategy and indicated that it could have a positive impact on security pact negotiations between Washington and Kabul, which have been stalled since Karzai refused to sign the deal back in November after a Loya Jirga gave its stamp of approval.

“The U.S. has shown a strong commitment in regard to the peace process, and this means that the conditions set by President Karzai for signing the BSA would be fulfilled,” HPC member Muhammad Ismael Qasimyar said.

Mr. Qasimyar said he was unaware of any ongoing talks between the HPC and the Taliban, which were reported in the past week.

“We are not aware, we have trips for many purposes, maybe the government is more in the picture than the HPC,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Karzai has praised the HPC for supposedly meeting with the Taliban in Dubai. In an official statement, the President called the militant group the “Taliban Islamic Movement”, a sign of respect suggesting the intention to mend bridges with insurgents the NATO coalition and his government have fought for over a decade.

Yet the Taliban in their own statements have denied any meetings with the HPC or Afghan officials. In a statement released this week, the group in Dubai was said not to truly represent the Taliban.

Where negotiations go from here is anyone’s guess, with officials in Washington and Kabul cagey about the details of any ongoing negotiations with the Taliban. But if a prisoner swap between the U.S. and the insurgents does move forward, it will likely signal the first major step toward peace talks.