Taliban peace talks resume

Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US sat down on Monday for talks to resurrect a stalled Afghan peace process and end nearly 15 years of bloodshed, even as fighting with Taliban insurgents intensifies. Senior officials from the four countries are meeting in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, to launch an effort they hope will lead to negotiations with the Taliban, who are fighting to impose their strict brand of Islamist rule and are not expected at Monday's talks. The Pakistani prime minister's foreign affairs adviser, Sartaj Aziz, opened the meeting, saying the primary goal should be to convince the Taliban to come to the table and consider giving up violence. "It is therefore important that preconditions are not attached to the start of the negotiation process. This we argue will be counterproductive," he said. "The threat of use of military action against irreconcilables cannot precede the offer of talks to all the groups." Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry were joined by Richard Olson, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and General Anthony Rock, the top US defense representative in Pakistan, as well as China's special envoy on Afghanistan affairs, Deng Xijun. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said at a Monday press briefing that China backs the "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" reconciliation process and is willing to continue playing a constructive role to this end. "China is willing to provide support and assistance to restarting the Afghan peace talks through joint efforts with relevant sides, on the basis of respecting Afghan's sovereignty and relevant parties' concerns," Hong said. Renewed peace efforts come amid spiraling violence in Afghanistan, with last year, after the withdrawal of most foreign forces at the end of 2014, one of the bloodiest on record. In recent months the Taliban have won territory in the southern province of Helmand, briefly captured the northern city of Kunduz and launched a series of suicide bombs in the capital, underlining how hard Afghan government forces are finding it fighting on their own. Peace efforts last year stalled after the Taliban announced that their founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for two years. The Taliban, who were ousted in 2001, remain split on whether to take part in talks, with some factions opposed to any negotiations but others considering joining talks, senior members of Taliban groups said last week.