No good or bad Taliban, says Iran

Airing its unease over the proposed reintegration of Taliban in Afghanistan, Iran Tuesday rejected any distinction between good Taliban and bad Taliban, and sought closer cooperation with India in stabilising the violence-torn country.

"There is no good Taliban or bad Taliban," Iranian ambassador to India Seyed Mehdi Nabizadeh said here.

Backing a regional approach, the Iranian envoy stressed that neighbouring countries could play a greater role in stabilising Afghanistan. India and Iran can work together in stabilsing Afghanistan, he said.

The envoy blamed Western forces, mainly the US and NATO, for the deepening quagmire in Afghanistan and said the government should be run by the Afghans only.

The volatile situation in Afghanistan and the regional situation figured prominently in discussions between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Iranian leaders during the two-day annual diplomatic consultations in Tehran last week.

India and Iran share similar perspectives on the shifting situation in Afghanistan and are opposed to any power-sharing arrangement with the Taliban in that country.

Although India grudgingly accepted the proposal endorsed at the Jan 28 London conference on reintegration and reconciliation with the Taliban, New Delhi continues to have unease about the effectiveness of the proposal, an anxiety that is shared by Tehran.

Iran, an influential player in Afghanistan due to its relations with Hazara tribes, did not participate in the London conference.

Last updated on Feb 9^th, 2010 at 22:06 pm IST--IANS