German defense minister joins call for talks with moderate Taliban

Sun, 20 Dec 2009

Berlin - Germany's Defense Minister spoke out Sunday in favor of peace talks with the moderate wing of the Taliban to ease the Afghan crisis. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg's stance may indicate a change of emphasis in German policy, which has previously opposed dealings with the Taliban - despite reports that Britain and other allies have quietly urged Kabul to open communications with non-terrorist Taliban leaders.

"Each rebel is not an equal threat to western society," said Guttenberg in an interview printed by the newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

Guttenberg said he approved keeping communications open to the different ethnic groups and tribes in Afghanistan, provided the allies did not fall into a trap.

"I no longer believe the sole rule is to cut off all forms of communication, but certain criteria must still be applied," he said.

German politicians discussed in 2007 whether it made sense to seek talks with the Taliban, but conservatives rejected this.

Leading voices in Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and in the Christian Social Union (CSU), the party Guttenberg belongs to, were at the time flatly opposed.

Signs were growing Sunday that the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD), which sent German troops to Afghanistan in the first place, might formally oppose the increase in the contingent which is now being sought by US President Barack Obama.

Party leader Sigmar Gabriel said the party was not going to vote in favor of a larger contingent, while the SPD caucus leader, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is a former foreign minister, said Germany should instead do more to train and equip the Afghan army.

Berlin has officially said it will not decide before a conference in London in late January whether to offer more soldiers in excess of the current troop ceiling, which is fixed at 4,500 personnel.

Meanwhile, Germany's Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, arrived in Italy on Sunday night for talks with his opposite number, Franco Frattini.