Taliban confirm ’initial’ deal to open office overseas

AFP

Kabul, 03 Jan 2012: The Taliban today confirmed they had come to an "initial agreement" to open a political office overseas as part of peace talks with the United States.

 

In a statement published on their purported website "Voice of Jihad", the Taliban said they had held "preliminary talks with relevant sides including Qatar" to open an office outside Afghanistan.

 

"We’re now prepared, while having a strong presence inside (Afghanistan) to have a political office outside (Afghanistan) for negotiations," the statement said, reiterating the stance that all foreign troops must leave to end the war.

 

The Taliban said one of their demands was for a prisoner exchange to include the release of inmates from Cuba’s US-run detention facility Guantanamo Bay.