NATO Commander Hopes for Peace Deal With Taliban
The top NATO commander in Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, says he hopes the increased number of American troops in Afghanistan will lead to a negotiated peace deal with the Taliban.
In an interview published in The Financial Times Monday, General McChrystal acknowledged his skepticism about the war, but said NATO is poised to make positive progress this year as a result of the extra 30,000 U.S. troops being sent to Afghanistan.
McChrystal said he aims to weaken the Taliban insurgency to the point where its leaders would be willing to accept a settlement with Afghanistan’s government. The U.S. general said he personally feels there has been enough fighting.
When asked by the newspaper if he would be content to see Taliban leaders in a future Afghan government, McChrystal said that he thinks all Afghans can play a role if they are focusing on the future, and not the past.
On Sunday, Afghanistan’s election authorities postponed the country’s parliamentary elections planned for May 22, citing funding and security concerns.
Election commissioner Fazil Ahmed Manawi said the vote will be pushed back to September 18, because the commission does not have the $120 million to conduct the vote.
Election officials defended their decision, saying it will allow the country to hold a transparent and fair election acceptable to all Afghans.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived Sunday in Turkey, where he will join his Pakistani and Turkish counterparts for a summit Monday on how to better fight terrorism along Afghan-Pakistani border.
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