nrupatunga
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Taliban talks in Doha/Oslo drag on
The Taliban came to Doha nearly a year ago to establish an office from which they could engage in negotiations with representatives of Washington, in the hope of eventually achieving direct Afghan-to-Afghan talks with the government of President Hamid Karzai.
However, with a coalition of more than 40 nations currently involved militarily in Afghanistan, "everyone is trying to woo them", a person close to the Doha-based Taliban representatives told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, saying he did not want to jeopardise any potential for progress towards peace.
The diplomatic attention proved too much for the dozen or so Doha-based Taliban. To escape the persistent diplomatic overtures, they left Qatar for Norway "to see the snow", said the source.
But not even the snow-capped lands of Scandinavia could provide a respite from the peace process. Soon after the Taliban arrival in Norway, officials in Oslo received a dispatch from Kabul.
"Karzai sent a message to the Norwegians offering the Taliban the Ministry of Justice and the position of Chief Justice,":shocked: the source told Al Jazeera. A second source also close to the Afghan Taliban in Doha confirmed the offer.
Events on the ground in Afghanistan also indicate peaceful reconciliation is not at the forefront of Taliban strategy. Also complicating peace negotiations is the number of players with their own interests. This is not an isolated process.