David Cameron has warned the Taliban that “waiting it out” for NATO troops to leave Afghanistan in 2014 will not help the fanatics seize power.
His comments, on a visit to Kabul yesterday - July 19, signalled that talks with the militant group have broken down.
Sending the Taliban what he dubbed “a very clear message”, the PM declared: “You cannot wait this out until foreign forces leave in 2014 because we will be firm friends and supporters of Afghanistan long beyond then. So now is the time to participate in a peaceful political process.”
He added that “a strong plan to transfer security responsibility” will leave a “capable Afghan force able to defeat an insurgency”.
In a bid to re-ignite negotiations with the Taliban, Mr Cameron brokered groundbreaking three-way talks in the Afghan capital yesterday with leader Hamid Karzai and new Pakistani PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. Explaining why he pushed for them, Mr Cameron described the bloodshed with militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan as “one fight”.
The PM also signed a deal to set up a British Army-run academy for Afghan officers dubbed “Sandhurst in the sand”.
And he invited Mr Karzai to the Olympics to watch his national team’s four athletes compete.
