LOC00:24
21:24 GMT
WASHINGTON, July 13 (KUNA) -- Special Representative for Afghanistan and
Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said on Tuesday that the United States will help to
review the United Nations sanctions list on Taliban members to advance the
reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
"President Karzai for a long time has felt this list should be changed
dramatically ... the United States position under the previous administration
was to oppose any change in that list. We re-examined this policy starting
late last year," said Holbrooke in a press briefing.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced this week he planned to ask the
United Nations to remove up to 50 former Taliban leaders from a terrorism
blacklist.
The Security Council Resolution 1267 was passed in 1999 and was designed
because of Taliban noncompliance with certain United Nations
resolutions.
Holbrooke made clear that "to get a name delisted takes Security Council
approval, which means the five permanent members must do this, must agree" and
mentioned that he visited New York last week to talk to the Austrian
ambassador to the U.N., who is in charge of this process for the U.N. Security
Council, and to various other U.N. officials and to the U.S. Mission to the
United Nations.
"President Karzai would like to have names dropped from the list. We agree
to do that on a case-by-case process. We will not support a blanket ending of
this list," he added while stating that "there are people on it who are
dangerous threats to the United States and our allies, and there are people on
it who are actors in movements which threaten to kill members of the coalition.
"
Holbrooke affirmed that "this is not a one-time-only event, it is an
ongoing process, and the U.S. is not in charge of it. The U.N. is. But we are
working on it, along with them." "Our position on reconciliation
should be equally clear. We support Afghan-led reconciliation," he added.
Holbrooke affirmed that the Kabul conference on July 20 "is not going to
end the war in Afghanistan."
The Afghan government is expected to present a plan to improve development,
governance and security during a conference co-chaired by the United Nations.
While it is not a pledging conference, donor countries are expected to align
their assistance with the proposals put forward in the meeting.
Assistant Secretary of State for public diplomacy Philip Crowley told
reporters that a "major element" of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
upcoming trip is to participate in the Kabul conference next week.
Holbrooke, who just came back from a trip to South East Asia, will leave
again tomorrow for Germany, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India on addition to
London on his way back to Washington.
In Germany, he will meet with the coordinator for the international special
representatives for Afghanistan and Pakistan group Michael Steiner.
Holbrooke noted the participation of seven Muslim countries from the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in the Kabul conference
highlights "the importance of the fact that so many Muslim countries are
participating in this effort."
"This gives the direct lie to the "clash of civilizations" theory which the
Taliban and al Qaeda put out so continually," he added.
Holbrooke said the US administration is continuing discussions with
Islamabad on is relation with Kabul adding that this dialogue between the two
neighboring countries "is beginning to show signs of some degree of building
some degree of mutual confidence."
"Nothing could be more important to the resolution of the war in
Afghanistan than a common understanding between Afghanistan and Pakistan on
what their strategic purpose is," he added. Holbrooke also stressed the
importance of the meeting between the Indian and Pakistani foreign minister in
Islamabad this week saying that this help "reduces tensions and increases
confidence and understanding between Pakistan and India is something we would
encourage and support. But we are not directly involved in those talks." (end)
jm.rk
KUNA 140024 Jul 10NNNN