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Remove Taliban leaders from UN blacklist: Karzai

* Afghan president doesn’t say whether he wants Mullah Omar among those scratched from list
* US strategy better than expected

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday called on the United Nations to remove from its blacklist the names of Taliban leaders who are not part of Al Qaeda, as a first step towards peace talks.

Karzai hailed Washington’s new strategy for the “war on terror” in Afghanistan and Pakistan, including its mention of reconciliation with certain Taliban.

“While we are speaking about the peace process with the Taliban, we must also make sure to provide the right environment for such a peace process,” Karzai told reporters.

Mullah Omar: Karzai however dodged questions about whether he wanted the fugitive Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Omar, among those scratched from the list. “I don’t have any specific names right now to mention,” he said. “I’m speaking about the principles.”

US strategy: Meanwhile, at a news conference, the Afghan president said the new US strategy for the worsening conflict in his country was “better than we were expecting” and provided the right solutions for the problems afflicting the region, AP reported.

Karzai praised US plans to strengthen Afghanistan’s army and police and provide greater civilian aid to help rebuild the country. He also welcomed President Barack Obama’s focus on countering Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.

Karzai said Iran had an important role to play in tackling extremism and welcomed a softening in relations between Tehran and his key US ally, AFP reported.

US President Barack Obama’s new strategy on Afghanistan proposes the formation of a “contact group” that includes Iran to find way to quell a bloody Al Qaeda-backed insurgency in this country and Pakistan.

“We welcome America’s new intentions, wanting improvement in relations with Iran and understanding of Iran’s role,” Karzai told the news conference. agencies

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