Taliban incapable of taking back Afghanistan: Karzai

CHICAGO: The Taliban are not capable of taking back Afghanistan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday as he sought to reassure his war-torn country's Western backers over their pullout plans.

"The Taliban may have the ability to launch attacks, to explode IEDs (improvised explosive devices), to send suicide bombers. But for them to come and take over the country and take it backwards, no," Karzai told CNN.

The Afghan leader spoke on the sidelines of a NATO summit that cemented mid-2013 as the time when Afghans would have to take the lead for security nationwide, ahead of a total pullout of US-led forces by the end of 2014.

"Afghanistan has moved forward, and Afghanistan will defend itself. And the progress that we have achieved, the Afghan people will not allow it to be put back or reversed," Karzai said.

In a Chicago summit declaration, US President Barack Obama and his NATO military allies ratified an "irreversible" roadmap to "gradually and responsibly" withdraw 130,000 combat troops by the end of 2014.

Asked by CNN if his government was still prepared to negotiate with the Taliban as behind-the-scenes efforts continue to find some sort of accommodation with the country's former rulers, Karzai replied: "Absolutely.

"We have been working on the peace deal for a long time now. And with quite a heavy dedication and perseverance. We will continue the peace process with the Taliban and with the government of Pakistan, with our allies as well," he said.

"This is something that the Afghan people want, and it's something that we have as an obligation towards the Afghan people to do."

The NATO summit in Chicago, which was dominated by Afghanistan, was somewhat overshadowed by the failure of the United States and Pakistan to resolve a row over reopening military supply routes.

Karzai would not pass judgment on Islamabad's demand to charge steep fees for trucks crossing the border but intimated the issue would be discussed during his upcoming meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

"The prime minister will be visiting in about a week's time in Kabul. And we're supposed to be discussing all the issues that are -- among both countries," he said. (AFP)