Taliban negotiator under house arrest in UAE
KABUL (Reuters) A leading Taliban peace negotiator has been placed under house arrest in the United Arab Emirates, officials said on Thursday, dealing buy canada goose jacket a blow to President Hamid Karzai efforts to jump canadagooseoutletshop uk canada goose start a nascent Afghan peace process before leaving office.
Agha Jan canada goose coats on sale Mutassim, a Canada Goose Jackets finance minister during Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, has been missing for over a week, according to the Afghan government, disappearing after arranging a meeting in Dubai between Afghan and Taliban officials in February.
. one of the key Taliban leaders canada goose black friday sale and who supported Afghan peace initiative, was put under house arrest in Canada Goose Coats On Sale the UAE where he lived, the Afghan High Peace Council, a body formed by Karzai to engage canada goose in canadian goose jacket peace talks with the Taliban, said on Thursday.
A Western security source in Kabul confirmed Mutassim had canada goose uk outlet been put under house arrest, and that the UAE was considering deporting him to Canada Goose online Afghanistan.
It was not immediately clear why Mutassim was confined to his home, or who was behind his arrest.
The Karzai administration, in its final months of power, has been trying to rekindle dialogue with important members of the Afghan insurgency that has buy canada goose jacket cheap lasted canada goose clearance for more than 12 years.
The Taliban leadership willingness to hold talks only with Western or Arab officials canada goose store has angered Karzai.
LAST DITCH PUSH FOR PEACE In March, Mutassim, once a powerful figure in the Taliban political canada goose factory sale committee but whose links to the group are now unclear, brought 16 high ranking former and current Taliban figures and Afghan peace council members together in Dubai, Afghan officials told Reuters.
Few details have emerged about the talks, and little progress is believed to have been made. It said he did not represent the movement.
Afghan and Western officials, however, Canada Goose Online say Mutassim remains an influential figure and could lure senior members of the group to the peace process.
The Taliban are fighting to expel foreign forces and impose strict Islamist rule.
For years, their reclusive leadership, believed to be located in Pakistan under the leadership of Mullah Mohammed Omar, has refused to negotiate directly with the government of Karzai, whom the Taliban says is an illegitimate leader installed by the United States.
The Karzai government has held informal talks with Canada Goose Outlet Taliban figures since 2001, and has renewed peace efforts in recent months, perhaps to ensure Karzai Canada Goose Parka leaves a legacy as he readies to hand over the linked website leadership before the end of the year.
This month, Afghans went to the polls to elect a new president to replace Karzai who is constitutionally canada goose coats bound to step cheap Canada Goose down after serving two terms.
Afghanistan allies uk canada goose outlet praised the April canada goose uk shop 5 vote as a success because of a high turnout estimated at 60 percent of 12 million eligible voters and the failure of the Taliban to stage high profile attacks.
Early results show Canada Goose sale no outright winner, meaning a likely canada goose clearance sale run off canada goose uk black friday between former foreign minister Abdullah and a former World Bank official and former finance minister, Ashraf Ghani. Final results are due on May 14, cheap canada goose uk with a run off, if needed, in late May.