afgan talks

[doug]

an -- High-stakes talks involving Canadian and other NATO officials were under way yesterday in a bid to get insurgents to put down their weapons in a key Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

The clandestine negotiations, led by Afghan authorities but involving NATO intermediaries, were being held as hundreds of Taliban fighters amassed within 2 km of a Canadian outpost west of Kandahar, preparing for battle.

The unprecedented talks are so sensitive that, officially, NATO insisted it was not in direct contact with Taliban leaders.

'NO OFFICIAL' LINK

"ISAF hasn't been approached by any faction of the Taliban," said Canadian Forces Maj. Scott Lundy, a NATO spokesman. "At this point, no official involvement."


However, intermediaries quietly got involved after Taliban leaders insisted on talks with NATO's International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, or other international facilitators, rather than with the Afghan government, The Canadian Press has learned.

"In fact, they are scared of the government," an Afghan official said of the Taliban leadership.

'A DIALOGUE'

"Their requirements are to talk with (ISAF) or with the (UN). ... They trust these two organizations more than anyone else."

Lundy acknowledged NATO was at least aware that talks were going on. "There is a dialogue under way already with some Taliban in Kandahar province," he said.

Sources said as many as 1,500 Taliban fighters had converged by yesterday in three villages in Panjwaii, where Canadian soldiers have faced their biggest battles since February.

Four Canadian soldiers were killed and 10 others injured in Panjwaii on Aug. 3.

[doug]

Its about time those talks took place,and where is blair,having a good time on his hols,whilst our guy's are on a very dangerous deployment. the number of killed is 10.

[harry hackedoff]

And news just in,



SAS combine with Berlei in joint support operation






Taxi for Walter,


get your coat on and fork off

[doug]

harry,wind your neck in,and i will supply you with the spanner,to make sure its tight enough have one one me. yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :smilecolros:

[JoJo82]

Doug, missed ya old fella! Want a brew?

[Paratrooper01]

Harry, we have told you before....NO MORE PICS OF YOURSELF!!!

[Paratrooper01]

On a sensible note....

The Taliban heard that my R&R was almost up and i will be returning to battle very soon...this is the REAL reason why they are starting to put down their arms and talk things over

[Sonne]

I was wondering what happenned to you Doug.

Have a drink on me

Sonne

[doug]

Doug, missed ya old fella! Want a brew?

on offer,i will have a wee dram jojo,all the best to you you :lilangel:

[doug]

I was wondering what happenned to you Doug.

Have a drink on me

Sonne

Thanks sonne,if there is one thing i enjoy lets party,meet you all in the clubhouse,drinks on me,you to my old buddy harry,what would i do without you :multi: see you later.

[Sonne]

I was wondering what happenned to you Doug.

Have a drink on me

Sonne

Thanks sonne,if there is one thing i enjoy lets party,meet you all in the clubhouse,drinks on me,you to my old buddy harry,what would i do without you :multi: see you later.

Doesn't matter how waltish a person is, if they are offerring drinks then i'm there. I'll drop you a PM next time I plan to be north of the border

[JoJo82]

Doug, missed ya old fella! Want a brew?

on offer,i will have a wee dram jojo,all the best to you you :lilangel:

Quick, grab the camera...........I'VE PULLED!

[doug]

I was wondering what happenned to you Doug.

Have a drink on me

Sonne

Thanks sonne,if there is one thing i enjoy lets party,meet you all in the clubhouse,drinks on me,you to my old buddy harry,what would i do without you :multi: see you later.

Doesn't matter how waltish a person is, if they are offerring drinks then i'm there. I'll drop you a PM next time I plan to be north of the border

Sonne,i do not live in scotland now,i left there a number of years ago,when i joined up in the army,never went back.I now live in the midlands.

[harry hackedoff]

Really?
The Midlands?
And here`s me thinking you live in the land of Walt.

[doug]

of Walt you mean disney,harry
mabye you got a bit confused harry.lol never mind,its a sign of age, it tells on all of us at some point.heeeeeeeeee old bean