Not talking to Haqqanis, our red lines are clear: Afghan NSA
By ANITuesday, August 31, 2010
NEW DELHI - Afghanistan on Tuesday denied that Karzai-led government was in talks with Haqqanis and other Pakistan-backed terrorist groups under the reconciliation process.
Afghan National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta, who is on a short visit to New Delhi, said, “We never talked to Haqqani groups, our red line is very clear-all those afghan citizens who are not the part of Al Qaeda and other terrorists or intelligence networks, they are welcome.”
“This is not the reconciliation with terrorist groups it is not reconciliation with Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups, Afghan reconciliation process is with Afghan citizens; those citizens who are ready to put down the arms and accept Afghan constitution,” Spanta added.
There are deep concerns in New Delhi over Afghan reconciliation process in which Pakistan seems to be playing an assertive role and trying to thrust its backed Haqqanis and Hekmatyar into the mainstream to gain strategic depth in the war-torn nation over India that has made massive investment of more than a billion dollars, mainly in capacity building.
Earlier in the day, Spanta also discussed Afghan reconciliation process with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and also called on External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.
In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Spanta said that terror outfits beyond Afghan borders are responsible for the attacks on Indian embassy and the recent attack on medical mission.
“Unfortunately we have two attacks on Indian embassies and also against a guest house which was used by Indian doctors. We know some terror groups with links beyond our borders are involved,” he said.
Spanta is in the eye of storm and has drawn the ire of Islamabad for his recent article titled “Pakistan is the Afghan war’s real aggressor” published in Washington Post in which he blamed Pakistan for aiding Quetta Shura, Hekmatyar and Haqqanis. In his fiery article, Spanta also urged that United States should use drones to target Afghan Taliban commanders living in Pakistani territory. He also called for imposing sanctions on Pakistan in his controversial writing piece in the US newspaper. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)
