A Pakistani decision to temporarily bar some trucks from a key passageway to Afghanistan threatened a critical supply route for U.S. and NATO troops on Sunday and raised more fears about deteriorating security in the militant-plagued border region.
The suspension of oil tankers and trucks carrying sealed containers came as U.S.-led coalition troops in eastern Afghanistan reported killing five al-Qaida-linked fighters and detaining eight others, including a militant leader.
Meanwhile, as international pressure mounts for negotiations with insurgents, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday that he would guarantee the security of Taliban chief Mullah Mohammed Omar if he decides to enter into talks.
Striking a defiant tone, Karzai said during a news conference in the Afghan capital that he would not bow to demands from the international community to turn Omar over to U.S. authorities if the Taliban leader agreed to negotiate a peace settlement with Karzai's government.
"If I say I want protection for Mullah Omar, the international community has two choices: remove me or leave," he said.
Karzai delivered his remarks after weeks of speculation that negotiations are already under way between the Afghan government and insurgent leaders.
With violence hitting new highs as the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan enters its seventh year, U.S. and NATO officials have recently indicated increasing support for talks with Islamist insurgents as one way to rein in fighting across the country.
Intelligence experts believe Omar now leads his fighters from a safe haven near the southern Pakistani city of Quetta. The U.S. has offered a multimillion-dollar reward for Omar's capture.
Taliban spokesmen have so far rejected the idea of talks.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement
Advertisement