Fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar has rejected the latest offer of peace talks by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a rebel spokesman said on Saturday. Instead, the one-eyed leader with a $10 million US bounty on his head has repeated his threat to prosecute Karzai in an Islamic court for the “massacre” of Afghans. “The infidels of the entire world have gathered in Afghanistan, occupied it and taken the Afghans hostage,” Tayyab Agha said by satellite phone from a secret place.“There can be no talks with the Afghan puppet government in the presence of foreign occupying forces. Hamid Karzai and his colleagues should first free themselves from the slavery of foreign infidels and then invite us for negotiations.”
Karzai on Friday repeated his offer for talks if the Taliban leadership met several conditions, including ending support from elements in Pakistan and the involvement of foreign fighters. “The Taliban will not negotiate in the presence of foreign forces and will continue their armed jihad under Mullah Omar’s leadership until the ouster of foreign forces,” Agha said.