Scepticism over Bonn talks

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, NOV. 26. There is much speculation in the European media over the outcome of the Bonn talks on Afghanistan, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, amid fears that the talks may fail if the main leaders from Afghanistan do not attend the conference.

The talks are aimed at finding a multi-ethnic government in the post-Taliban Afghanistan. A senior United Nations official was on Monday quoted as saying that it was understandable that senior Afghan leaders who are currently in ``places difficult to hold, may not want to leave the places''. Hence, the fear is that they may use that as an excuse not to attend the meet.

Over the weekend and on Monday, delegates from various Afghan factions have been flying into Bonn. They are gathering at Petersberg resort in a forested hill overlooking Bonn across the river Rhine. The conference was scheduled to begin on Monday but was postponed to Tuesday.

The silver lining on the Afghanistan horizon is that the former Afghan President and current leader of the Northern Alliance, Mr Burhanuddin Rubbani, was quoted as saying that he would be prepared to hand power over to an interim government and that former members of the Taliban could also have a place in the future government after the talks in Bonn.

The European observers note that so far, the warring Afghan groups have been staking their various ``mutually exclusive positions'' and at the same time, minimising the significance of the Bonn talks.

The Americans and European Union will closely monitor the Bonn proceedings, as American military planners switch focus to the capture of Kandahar, the last remaining Taliban stronghold. E.U. officials note that Americans and the British have also been at odds over whether Western peace-keeping troops should be deployed in Afghanistan to consolidate the hold of the post-Taliban government. E.U. officials feel that this cannot happen without Western peace-keepers.

Meanwhile, after an emotive and often acrimonious weekend debate, the German Green party agreed to support the deployment of 3,900 German troops in the U.S.-led war on terrorism. On the political front, this may ensure the survival of the ruling coalition between the Greens and the Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats until the general elections in the second half of next year.

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Section  : International
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