The Taliban refuse to negotiate a peace deal with Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s government, which they derisively refer to as a Western puppet.
However, Taliban officials and envoys from Hezb-i-Islami, another Islamist group, held a rare and secretive two-day meeting last week with representatives of the Karzai government in Chantilly, France.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Ashish Kumar Sen is a reporter covering foreign policy and international developments for The Washington Times.
Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Sen worked for publications in Asia and the Middle East. His work has appeared in a number of publications and online news sites including the British Broadcasting Corp., Asia Times Online and Outlook magazine.
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