catpaw

The United States must talk to the Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar if it wants to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan, said the Pakistani former spymaster who trained the Taliban chief Mullah Omar.

Retired Brigadier Sultan Tarar, known as Colonel Imam, a former operative of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) said that Mullah Omar is open to such talks.

"If a sincere message comes from the Americans, these people (the Taliban) are very big-hearted. They will listen. But if you try to divide the Taliban, you'll fail. Anyone who leaves Mullah Omar is no more Taliban. Such people are just trying to deceive," said colonel Imam, in an interview with McClatchy Newspapers.

His comments come as the Nato's top commander in Afghanistan has said increased troop levels could bring a negotiated peace with the Taliban. US Gen Stanley McChrystal has said that there had been enough fighting and a political solution in all conflicts was inevitable. His remarks came as the top UN envoy in Kabul said it was time to talk to the militants. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is expected to unveil the initiative at an international conference on Afghanistan in London on Thursday.

However, Pakistan’s security establishment believes that Omar's ambitions are limited to Afghanistan, and that the Taliban can now be persuaded to share power with other Afghan factions.

"Mullah Omar is highly respected, very faithful to his country. He's the only answer. He's a very reasonable man," said Imam. He said that Mullah Omar would be willing to cut a deal, if it would lead to the departure of foreign troops and included funds to rebuild Afghanistan. "I can help," he said. "But can I trust the Americans?"

Colonel Imam, who is a specialist of commando-guerrilla warfare, is widely believed to have trained Mullah Omer and other Taliban factions in guerrilla warfare. After the Soviet defeat and the collapse of communism, "Colonel Imam" was invited to the White House by the then US President George Bush (senior), and was given a piece of the Berlin Wall with a brass plaque inscribed: "To the one who dealt the first blow." Today, western intelligence agencies believe Imam is among a group of renegade officers from Pakistan’s ISI who continued to help the Taliban after Pakistan turned against them following the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Western diplomats believe that ISI must be involved in any negotiations or it would act as a spoiler, continuing to provide aid to the Taliban and allied insurgent groups as part of a goal to install in Kabul a pro-Pakistan regime that would cut close ties with India.

Colonel Imam said that without talks, the war would grind on with US forces ignoring the counterinsurgency textbooks that call for the use of minimal force and winning the support of the people.

"The time is on the Taliban's side. The longer the Americans stay, the more complete will be their defeat. They will not be routed but they will be worn out, psychologically and physically," he said.  



Indian Times