KABUL - Former President Hamid Karzai says Americans are discussing military bases with the Taliban during their talks and that he believes that the United States forces are not going to leave Afghanistan.
Addressing the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Karzai said he also believes that Pakistan and the United States can play a key role in bringing peace to Afghanistan.
“I am among those who believe that Americans are not going to leave Afghanistan,” Karzai said when he was asked about his concerns regarding a possible withdrawal of a “significant” number of US forces from Afghanistan.
“They (US forces) didn’t come to leave, so they will stay in Afghanistan at least in the form of the bilateral security agreement, the bases, and thus I believe that the conversation that the Americans have with the Taliban as well on the bases. So, they will not go,” Karzai said.
The former President said the peace process will not succeed if it is not fully Afghan-led and that if it does not enjoy support from the neighboring countries and the region.
“One that it (the peace process) has to be thoroughly and effectively and fundamentally based on an intra-Afghan dialogue, two, that it has to be recognized and seen in clear transparency by all of the Afghan people, it has to be for all of the Afghan people, for the all of the Afghan nation.
Three, it has to have the support of the neighbors and the region, for it to succeed, it cannot succeed otherwise. Fourth and the most important, we differentiate between peace and a deal between the United States and Pakistan on Afghanistan,” he said.
Karzai meanwhile emphasized Pakistan and the United States’ role in bringing peace to Afghanistan and said Afghans have recognized that role.