Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he will support the opening of a Taliban liaison office in Qatar to try to help consolidate the peace process. According to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it was the first time Karzai had given public support to the US plan to create a Taliban base in the Gulf state, in which future talks could be held. He previously rejected the idea, angry that the US and Germany had discussed potential locations without him. The Taliban have so far made no official comment on the proposal. The US, Germany and other countries with a stake in the war against the Taliban wanted a political end to the conflict and they argued that establishing an “address” outside the immediate region for reconciliation talks was the best way to speed up the peace process, BBC says. Earlier this month, Kabul recalled its ambassador from Doha, saying the Qataris had been discussing the issue of an office with the US and Germany “without keeping the Afghan government fully in the picture”. But on Tuesday, Karzai said while he preferred the idea of Turkey or Saudi Arabia hosting the office, “if the Americans want to locate it in Doha I would agree”. “Having an exact address for the opposition [is a condition] for practical steps toward starting negotiations,” a statement from the presidential palace said.
