Sotiris Bacàlis

A direct encounter with the Taliban is seeking the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai in order to launch peace talks,  BBC reports. The purpose of the meeting is to be done before opening the "liaison office" of the Taliban in Qatar, the result of an initiative of the U.S. and Germany, a movement which annoyed  Kabul as it was considered as a bypassing of the Afghan government. 

The British network supports, citing sources from Afghanistan and the western countries, that the Taliban and Karzai meeting will be held in Saudi Arabia. According to the same sources, the Taliban have agreed to meet with Afghan President. "Saudi Arabia has played an important role in the past and they expect a continuation of this support in order to move the peace talks into an
other level ...

17 people at least were killed today in clashes in eastern Yemen, shortly after a leading member of al Qaeda was shot by his brother, said local sources.

The conflict broke out between supporters and opponents of Tariq al-Dahab, who was killed by his half brother Chazam al Dahab in the eastern province Al Bain, the broadcast television network al Arampigia reported, citing local sources.

The Chazam shot Tariq inside a mosque in al Masanech, according to news site Mareb Press. Two companions of Tariq also lost their lives.

Then, members of al Qaeda fired rockets at his house, killing himself and two relatives.

This led to an eruption between the two sides, during which 17 people got killed.

According to al Arampigia, government forces did not intervene to stop the conflict.

The cause of the attack on Tariq is not known, although a source of racial authority said the Chazam was murdered by an order given by the Yemeni authorities.

Tariq was relative of the spiritual leader of al Qaeda al Aoulaki Anwar, who was killed in a U.S.
airstrike last year.

The NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen Buddha said today that the Western alliance will maintain military pressure on Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan alongside efforts to achieve a negotiated end to a decade of  conflicts.

Rasmussen made ​​these statements after Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the Wall Street Journal that the governments of Afghanistan and the U.S. have begun secrettripartite meetings with the Taliban to try to strengthen the US-sponsored efforts to achievecomprehensive peace talks .

"The stronger the military pressure on the Taliban, the greater the chance to realize that they have no chance in military terms, so it is best to go to the negotiating table" he toldreporters during his visit to Greece .

"We will continue the military pressure that will help  for  a political solution" Rasmussenadded.

The NATO Secretary General said that the Afghan government should be "in the driver's seat" for any deal and that all parties must renounce terrorism, respect the Afghan constitution, including clauses on the rights of\ women and other human rights.

"I do not know if it is possible to find a negotiated solution ... If these conditions are met, you should make an effort" he said.

In Kabul, the Afghan Taliban, however, rejected the allegations of President Karzai sayingthat "the Islamic Emirate strongly rejects the statements that we have conversations withreckless administration, and do not plan to talk with the administration of PresidentKarzai" said in a statement Taliban spokesman Zampichoulach.