News - Afghanistan

Former US officials have told media that the Taliban leader Mullah Omar had sent a letter to US President Barack Obama last year expressing willingness to hold talks.

The anonymous officials have said that the unsigned letter had reached President Obama in July last year through a Taliban mediator.

If the letter is officially confirmed to have been sent by the Taliban leader, it will show Taliban's strong willingness to hold peace talks.

But Taliban on Saturday denied that their leader Mullah Omar had written to President Barack Obama last year.

A Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said reports that Omar had sent a letter indicating an interest in talk's key to ending the war in Afghanistan were "baseless allegations."

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is strongly condemning these rumors and allegations," Taliban said in a statement.

It comes as Kabul and Washington have agreed to the establishment of a Taliban office in Qatar and stressed that the talks have to be led by Afghans.

But the main precondition of the Taliban to hold talks is the release of Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre.

The US Intelligence Department is assessing the risks of transferring five senior Taliban detainees from Guantanamo Bay to a third country as part of the efforts to set peace talks with Taliban, US Intelligence Chief, General David Petraeus told the US Congress.

In his testimony before the Congress the spy chief didn't mention any third country but there are reports that Taliban detainees could be transferred to Qatar which is acting as a mediator in peace negotiations.

Previously, there were reports that three high profile Taliban prisoners were released from Guantanamo Bay detention centre and transferred to Qatar.

Pakistan's Umat Daily reported that Mullah Khair Khwah, Mullah Noorullah and Mullah Afzal Akhund had been released and taken to Qatar.

Transfer of Taliban detainees was strongly criticised by Top US Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss,

There are also some reports that Afghan government will hold talks with Taliban in Saudi Arabia, while it agreed with the Taliban's political office in Qatar.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Hinna Rabbani Khar while visiting Kabul on Wednesday said that her country supported Afghan peace talks.

Afghan officials have said that Pakistan is an important player in the efforts to end the 10-year-old war in Afghanistan because many of the leaders of the insurgency are said to be sheltering on its territory.

Afghan officials have asked Pakistan's full cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Pakistan's Prime Minister will travel to the Gulf state of Qatar next week to talk with government leaders there about moves to broker a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban.

The Taliban last month announced its was setting up a political office in Qatar to facilitate talks.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Yosuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that the premier would be in Qatar on Monday to discuss the peace process with the government there.

Afghan and US officials have frequently blamed Pakistan for creating instability in Afghanistan and accused the country of supporting terrorist networks. But Pakistan has always denied such allegations.