KABUL – Former President Hamid Karzai says Americans are discussingmilitary bases with the Taliban during their talks and that he believesthat the United States forces are not going to leave Afghanistan.
Addressing the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Karzai said he also believesthat Pakistan and the United States can play a key role in bringing peaceto Afghanistan.
“I am among those who believe that Americans are not going to leaveAfghanistan,” Karzai said when he was asked about his concerns regarding apossible withdrawal of a “significant” number of US forces fromAfghanistan.
“They (US forces) didn’t come to leave, so they will stay in Afghanistan atleast in the form of the bilateral security agreement, the bases, and thusI believe that the conversation that the Americans have with the Taliban aswell on the bases. So, they will not go,” Karzai said.
The former President said the peace process will not succeed if it is notfully Afghan-led and that if it does not enjoy support from the neighboringcountries and the region.
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“One that it (the peace process) has to be thoroughly and effectively andfundamentally based on an intra-Afghan dialogue, two, that it has to berecognized and seen in clear transparency by all of the Afghan people, ithas 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 itto succeed, it cannot succeed otherwise. Fourth and the most important, wedifferentiate between peace and a deal between the United States andPakistan on Afghanistan,” he said.
Karzai meanwhile emphasized Pakistan and the United States’ role inbringing peace to Afghanistan and said Afghans have recognized that role.
