Talk to Taliban with or without Karzai- Musharraf

JUL 20 - Former president Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf says dialogue has to be established with the Taliban and political progress, rather than military might, would achieve a solution in Afghanistan.

Musharraf however cautioned that the senior elements of the Taliban leadership may not be receptive to a dialogue with the incumbent President Karzai who is contesting for a second term of office in August polls and appears to have the support of the Obama administration and other Western nations.

"I personally think that you need to establish a political dialogue and political dialogue with senior elements within the Taliban. Unfortunately, the Taliban or the senior elements in the Taliban, I don't think are open at the moment to any discussions or any negotiations with (Afghan President Hamid) Karzai.

"We need to have people, whether through a jirga or whether it is the president himself, to have access into the Taliban."

Musharraf was giving an interview to British news channel Sky Television in London where he is presently based at. According to reports, he has no immediate plans to return to Pakistan soon where the Supreme Court is to take up cases on his Nov 3 2007 mis-actions.

"I think the (military) strategy is right but we need to put in a little more input, more forces required, and maybe we need to concentrate also on the long-term strategy. We are following a short-term military strategy only," the former general said.

Commenting on the Taliban , he said "The Taliban have done wicked things. But then we have to come to a solution. "Military is never the ultimate solution. The military can buy you time, it can create an environment, but ultimately it is the political instrument which has to be used.

Musharraf said the Taliban's influence in Pakistan's Afghan border areas had strengthened since he resigned the presidency in August last year.

"There is a degree of instability that has come up because of this resurgence of Talibanization activity in the settled districts of the frontier, especially Swat, but I am very sure as long as the armed forces of Pakistan stay and they are strong, Pakistan will remain stable," he said. (Based on AFP news report)

Taliban destroy NATO fuel tanker

JUL 15 - Suspected Taliban destroyed a NATO oil tanker in the Khyber Agency on Tuesday, triggering retaliatory mortar shelling that killed two men and injured two others.

The oil tanker was carrying 40,000 liters of oil to Afghanistan when the Taliban opened fire on it.

Fifteen-year-old Shahan Khan Afridi and tanker cleaner Nasir Khan Shelmani were killed in the shelling.

The driver of the tanker, Gul Syed Shinwari, and Irfan Khan, another resident of the area, were injured.

Two vehicles of the Khasadar Force were also damaged and one Khasadar was injured, a subedar told Daily Times.