Taliban to attend Paris meeting on Afghanistan

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An Afghan protestor holds combined photos of Afghans, who were killed in the past three decades of war and violence in Afghanistan, during a demonstration on International Human Rights Day in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. In a demonstration organized by the Social Association of Afghan Justice Seekers, dozens of Afghans who have lost their family members and relatives in the past three decades of war and violence in Afghanistan, marched in Kabul to mark the 10th of December "International Human Rights Day" asking for justice for the deaths of their loved ones.

By PATRICK QUINN and AMIR SHAH
Associated Press
Posted: Monday, Dec. 10, 2012

KABUL, Afghanistan The Taliban will attend a meeting in France to talk about Afghanistan's future but will not discuss peace and reconciliation, the militant group's spokesman said Monday.

The meeting, organized by a French think tank on the outskirts of Paris, is not expected to produce results, but it will produce a rare face-to-face gathering of Afghanistan's major players. Only one such meeting, far less inclusive, has been held this year with Taliban participation. It was organized by a Japanese university in Kyoto six months ago.

Zabiullah Mujahid said two of the Taliban's representatives will attend next week's meeting to outline their policies. Representatives from Afghanistan's High Peace Council, political parties opposed to the Taliban, and the militant Islamist group Hezb-e-Islami also are expected to attend.

French Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Vincent Floreani said the intra-Afghan conference would take place this month under the auspices of the Foundation for Strategic Research. It will be closed to the media and will involve "all components of Afghan society," he said. He declined to specify the date or indicate the location, citing security concerns.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/12/10/3717931/taliban-to-attend-paris-meeting.html