Taliban turns down latest Karzai peace talks offer

The Taliban will "never" negotiate with Afghan authorities until US and NATO forces leave the country, a spokesman for the group said yesterday, again rebuffing an overture for peace talks from President Hamid Karzai.

Clashes and airstrikes, meanwhile, killed 14 suspected Taliban on Saturday, capping a week that saw more than 270 people killed in insurgency-related violence.

Karzai said Saturday he would be willing to meet personally with Taliban leader Mullah Omar and give militants a position in government in exchange for peace. But Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi repeated a position he announced earlier this month, saying there would be no negotiations until US and NATO troops withdraw from Afghanistan.