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Afghan President Seeks Saudi Help for Taliban Peace Talks

   Saudi  officials  say  Riyadh  has no intention of getting involved in
   peacemaking in Afghanistan unless Taliban sever ties with bin Laden.

   VOA News 02 February 2010

Photo: AP

   Afghan President Hamid Karzai, 31 Jan. 2010

   Afghan President Hamid Karzai has arrived in Saudi Arabia to ask Saudi
   King Abdullah for help in reaching out to the Taliban.
   Mr.  Karzai  is  expected  to  discuss  his  reconciliation  plan  for
   persuading  Taliban  militants  to  switch  sides, with the Saudi King
   during talks on Wednesday.
   Upon  his  arrival  Tuesday,  the  Afghan  leader  and  his delegation
   traveled to the holy city of Mecca to perform a pilgrimage.
   Saudi  Arabia was one of the few countries that recognized the Taliban
   regime in Afghanistan before it was ousted in 2001.
   However,  Saudi  officials  say  they  have  no  intention  of getting
   involved  in  peacemaking in Afghanistan unless the Taliban sever ties
   with Saudi-born al- Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
   President  Karzai  has said Saudi Arabia's role is extremely important
   for  Afghanistan,  and  he  called  on Saudi Arabia for help last week
   while speaking at an international conference in London.
   Mr.  Karzai  has also said he plans to summon a "loya jirga," or grand
   council  of elders, in the coming weeks as part of a push to reconcile
   with the Taliban and other insurgents.
   Meanwhile  Tuesday,  gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed two men in
   southern  Kandahar  province.  The  men  are related to a local tribal
   leader and close acquaintances of the president and his brother.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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