Karzai Invites Taliban to Join in Afghan Poll

[ze_dscherman]

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a surprise overture to the ousted Taliban on Sunday, inviting them to vote in September elections, and said his government was trying to negotiate peace with the insurgents.

But a top Taliban commander, Mullah Dadullah, swiftly rejected Karzai's invitation and repeated a threat to disrupt the country's first-ever presidential and parliamentary polls, denying the Taliban were in talks with the government.

Karzai's offer to the Islamist regime evicted from power by U.S.-led forces in 2001 follows a wave of Taliban attacks in the south and southeast that have hampered efforts by UN officials to register millions of voters for elections.

"They are Afghanistan's people," Karzai said, referring to the Taliban. "They can go for registering their votes and take part in the elections and do what they want to do," he told a news conference while on a visit to Kandahar.

More: http://news.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4931719

[proud patriot]

1. Well isn't that lovely

:grr:

[Robbien]

2. What is the motive here?

He knew the Taliban wouldn't accept, so why did Karzai make the offer?