US calls for Taliban peace talks

The United States has called for peace negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying that Washington doesn't want to eliminate the militants. At a news briefing on Monday in the US capital, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Washington wants to hold talks with the Taliban with the observation of Afghan government. Following a decade-long war, Washington has now made plans to hav Taliban representatives open an office in the Qatari capital Doha by the end of 2011 to provide the West with the opportunity to begin formal peace talks with the group. On Sunday, a report revealed secret talks taking place between the US and the Afghan militants. A senior US official was quoted as saying that the talks are on the verge of a confidence-building phase. According to the report, the US officials have held several meetings with their Taliban contacts, mostly in Germany and Qatar with representatives of Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban's Quetta Shura. US officials say they have kept Afghan President Hamid Karzai informed of the peace negotiations and have met with him before and after each session. However, on Monday, a senior Taliban commander denied that the group held covertnegotiations with US officials who had said talks were at a defining point. "How can talks be at a critical point when they have not even started," the commander stated. The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext of eradicating the Taliban militant group, but its failure to do so has forced Washington to turn to negotiation with the militants.