UN head in Afghanistan meets with militant group

[March 25, 2010]  KABUL (AP) -- The top U.N. official in Afghanistan has met with a delegation from a Taliban-linked militant group that has extended a peace offer to the Afghan government.

A U.N. statement Thursday says Staffan de Mistura listened to the Hizb-i-Islami delegation's peace proposal and indicated the delegation's discussions with the government underscore the importance of an Afghan-led dialogue toward stabilizing the nation.

It is the first time that high-ranking representatives of warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's group have traveled to Kabul to discuss peace. It's uncertain whether the talks will lead to an end game in the 8-year-old war. The group is demanding that foreign troops leave Afghanistan a year ahead of President Barack Obama's plan to begin a withdrawal in July 2011.

[Associated Press]

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