Karzai Seeks Talks With Taliban

After bus attack, he offers to give group a spot in government

By Sean McManus

Posted Sep 29, 2007 11:09 AM CDT

Copied

Karzai Seeks Talks With Taliban — An Afghan National army soldier stands near a destroyed army bus after an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007. A suicide bomber wearing an Afghan army uniform set off a huge explosion early Saturday while trying to board a military bus, killing 27 soldiers and wounding 21, officials... (Associated Press)

Hours after a Taliban suicide bomber blew up a bus and killed 30 people in Kabul, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai offered to meet with the group's leaders and give them a position in government, the Associated Press reports. "Why are you destroying the country?" Karzai asked the group's leaders. The attack was the second-deadliest in Kabul since 2001.

Karzai has been attempting to reach out to the Taliban frequently of late. Specifically, he has called for meetings with Mullah Omar, a former prime minister, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a factional warlord leader. “If I find their address, there is no need for them to come to me, I'll personally go there and get in touch with them,” he said.

Read These Next

Sienna proves herself to be a very, very good dog.
Three hikers jumped into a waterfall and never resurfaced.
America has lost a '60s teen idol.
Millions of student loan borrowers could see their paychecks docked.

Report an error