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A gathering to discuss ways to bring peace to Afghanistan got under way today in Kabul despite rocket and suicide bomb attacks by the Taliban. The attackers aren’t the only ones critical of the peace jirga. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Ajmal Khan Zazai, a tribal leader in the eastern province of Paktia.

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MARCO WERMAN:  I’m Marco Werman and this is The World, a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH in Boston.  Afghanistan’s peace jirga got off to a difficult start.  The meeting of 1,600 leaders from across the country was marred by a Taliban attack.  Rockets were fired and suicide bombers attempted to break through the security cordon of the meeting, which is taking place in a huge air conditioned tent in Kabul.  None of the delegates was hurt.  The meeting is trying to find ways to end the war that includes trying to reconcile with moderate insurgents.  But a Taliban spokesman said they wanted to destroy the jirga.  And it’s not just the Taliban who are critical.  Ajmal Khan Zazai is a western-educated tribal leader in the eastern province of Paktia.  Mr. Zazai, we should clarify first of all that you’re no friend of the insurgents.  In fact, they’ve made several attempts to kill you in the last few weeks because of your attempt to rally the tribes against them.  So tell us what your reservations are about the peace jirga taking place in Kabul.

AJMAL KHAN ZAZAI:  Marco that peace initiative is a good sign, but we have to have a proper mechanism in order to implement the right mechanism in the country where even Kabul, the – - jirga which is taking place right now is not safe, so how would the members go to the provinces?  We witnessed the reconciliation jirga was under attack.  I think this is extremely embarrassing for our government that we cannot even hold a jirga, and right in the heart of the capital.  How would this government, or how would international community think that – - of the people will go back to their valleys and to the villages and reconcile with the people who only speak through their guns and through their bombs.  It is extremely difficult, but needs to be done.  The mechanism has to be created on both sides of the border.

WERMAN: What kind of mechanism are you looking for then, that would do that?

ZAZAI: First of all, we have to identify the core problem.  The core problem are not the Taliban.  The core problem is the backers of the Taliban.  The main problem is in Pakistan because they are getting support from there.  When the attack happened on me on May 21st, 15 insurgents crossed the border on that day from Pakistan.  They got reinforcement very quickly.  They attack people, so we need to identify the core issue.  We are just trying to reconcile with some – - that they are not in their own control.

WERMAN: What is your evidence that Pakistan’s government is still supporting the Taliban?

ZAZAI: I am the evidence.  There was no local Taliban groups in my valley.  There is 15 guys from Waziristan, they crossed the border.  How in the world an Army which is capable to fight against India would not be in a position to fight insurgents which is not more than 10,000; that is impossible.

WERMAN: Hundreds of Pakistani soldiers have died in the past year defending their country, doing just that.

ZAZAI: I’m not accusing the entire Army.  I’m not accusing the entire system of the Pakistani, but there are elements who are facilitating the insurgents or protecting these insurgents who are provided in safe havens.  The real honest truth is that Pakistan has the capability and the ability to end insurgency in Afghanistan.

WERMAN: Hamid Karzai today opened the peace jirga with this comment to the Taliban, “Make peace with me and there will be no need for foreigners here.”  That’s what, essentially, the Taliban wants.  They want foreign troops off their soil.  What’s wrong with that very simple plan for you?

ZAZAI: Can you ask Hamid Karzai can he survive one day without the support of the ISOF and international community?  How could that be possible to just reconcile with the Taliban and then there would be no need for the foreign troops.  I think this is just something that we are chasing our own tail.  We are not getting anywhere.  Right now they have elected a chairman of the jirga, a former warlord, who is not acceptable to the Taliban, absolutely not.  He was a former president; he was the man who marched the attack on toppling the Taliban regime.  So you’re having all the enemies under the tent and then you’re telling the Taliban to come and reconcile.

WERMAN: The fact that you were not invited to the peace jirga in Kabul, Mr. Zazai, does it make you, is that alienating?  Does that make you feel left out of the process?

ZAZAI: I really did not think that if I am considered as to come, I wouldn’t even have the time to really come and sit there and listen too.  Because I am a practical man, I believe in practical steps.  To me, although this peace jirga is a good step, but I do not believe this is going to make any fruitful results.

WERMAN: Ajmal Khan Zazai is a tribal leader.  He is from Paktia Province in Afghanistan.  Thank you very much and stay safe.

ZAZAI: Thanks Marco for having me.

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