The Commercial Appeal

KARZAI WANTS TALKS

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KABUL, Afghanista­n — Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that his government is still willing to start talks with the Taliban, easing concerns that a brazen attack by the group on the presidenti­al palace earlier this week would derail the country’s nascent peace process.

In a joint news conference in Kabul with visiting British Prime Minister Prime Minister David Cameron, he urged the militant group to return the negotiatin­g table. He dismissed the attack as “peanuts” and said it would not deter his government from seeking peace.

The Taliban have indicated they are willing to open peace talks with the U.S. and the Afghanista­n government and opened an office in Qatar a little more than a week ago for possible negotiatio­ns.

But at the same time they have not renounced violence and attacks have continued across Afghanista­n.

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