The Star Online: World Updates
The Star Online: World Updates |
- Afghanistan says Pakistan serious about backing peace efforts
- Pakistan genuine about backing Afghan peace efforts - Afghan official
- U.S. Navy SEAL commander dead in Afghanistan in suspected suicide
| Afghanistan says Pakistan serious about backing peace efforts Posted: 23 Dec 2012 08:22 PM PST KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan is genuine about backing the nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government's goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, a senior Afghan government official told Reuters. "This is the vision that they share," said the official, who is closely involved in reconciliation efforts with the insurgent group. He also said recent face-to-face talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials in Paris were "enormously helpful" for peace efforts. The remarks signalled unprecedented optimism from Afghanistan that Pakistan - long accused of backing Afghan insurgent groups - was now willing to put its weight behind reconciliation efforts, which are still in early stages and are vulnerable to factionalism. The senior official cautioned that in order to sustain that optimism, Pakistan would need to take further concrete steps after releasing some mid-level Afghan Taliban members from detention, who may be useful in promoting peace. Pakistan is seen as critical to U.S. and Afghan efforts to stabilise the country before most NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014. The Haqqani network -- which has far more experience in guerrilla warfare than the Afghan Taliban - would be welcomed to the peace process as long as it met certain conditions, said the official. (Reporting by Michael Georgy; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani) Copyright © 2012 Reuters | ||
| Pakistan genuine about backing Afghan peace efforts - Afghan official Posted: 23 Dec 2012 07:59 PM PST KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan is genuine about backing the nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government's goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, a senior Afghan government official told Reuters. "This is the vision that they share," said the official, who is closely involved in reconciliation efforts. He also said recent face-to-face talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials in Paris were "enormously helpful" for peace efforts. (Reporting by Michael Georgy; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani) Copyright © 2012 Reuters | ||
| U.S. Navy SEAL commander dead in Afghanistan in suspected suicide Posted: 23 Dec 2012 07:53 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The commander of an elite U.S. Navy SEAL unit has died in Afghanistan, the Defence Department said on Sunday, and a U.S. military official said his death was being investigated as a suspected suicide. Commander Job Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, died on Saturday of a non-combat related injury in central Afghanistan's Uruzgan Province, the Pentagon said in a statement.
"This incident is currently under investigation," it said. Price, was assigned to a Naval Special Warfare unit in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was the commanding officer of SEAL Team Four. He failed to show up for an event on Saturday and colleagues found him dead in his quarters, the U.S. military official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. NBC News and CNN also quoted unnamed military officials as saying that the death was being looked at as a possible suicide. Lieutenant David Lloyd, a spokesman for Naval Special Warfare Group Two, which comprises the four SEAL teams on the U.S. East Coast, declined to comment on the cause of death, saying it was under investigation. Price was married and had a daughter. He had been a naval officer since May 1993, Lloyd said. Captain Robert Smith, the Group Two commander, said in a statement: "The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate. We extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and NSW community during this time of grieving. "As we mourn the loss and honour the memory of our fallen teammate, those he served with will continue to carry out the mission." SEAL is an acronym for sea, air, land. (Reporting by Ian Simpson and Phil Stewart; editing by Christopher Wilson) Copyright © 2012 Reuters |
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