UN sanctions panel delists 14 ex-Taliban figures

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UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Friday removed 14 former Taliban from its sanctions list as part of moves to induce the insurgent group into talks with Kabul on a peace deal in Afghanistan.

Those delisted by a special sanctions committee included four members of a 70-strong High Peace Council set up by Afghan authorities last September to pave the way for talks, the German UN mission announced in a statement.

Germany is this month's Security Council president.

The move came in response to a request from Kabul to take off the list a number of former Taliban figures that the government believes have given up militancy, according to the statement.

Afghan officials had said they were seeking the delisting of about 20 people. Some Security Council members, notably Russia, are cautious about removing names.

The peace council members are Arsalan Rahmani Daulat, a former Taliban deputy higher education minister, Habibullah Fawzi, a former Taliban diplomat in Saudi Arabia, Sayeedur Rahman Haqani, former Taliban deputy minister for mines and industries and later for public works, and Faqir Mohammad.

President Hamid Karzai's office has called the creation of the council a significant step toward peace. But the Taliban have so far scoffed at the idea of talks, saying all foreign forces must first leave Afghanistan.

The United States is preparing to start pulling out its 97,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a process to hand over all combat operations against the Taliban to Afghan security forces by 2014.

"STRONG SIGNAL"

In a statement, Germany's UN Ambassador Peter Wittig said the committee's decision "sends a strong signal: the Security Council and the international community support the efforts of the Afghan government to engage reconciled Taliban in a political dialogue in order to achieve peace and security."

"The international community recognizes efforts made by members of the High Peace Council to work toward peace, stability and reconciliation. All Afghans are encouraged to join these efforts. The message is clear: engaging for peace pays off," Wittig said.

The move came four weeks after the Security Council decided to split what was previously a joint list of Taliban and al Qaeda figures into two -- one for each group. (Reuters)