Context
The Haqqani network has accused the United States of being insincere in its calls for peace in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton announced the US was willing to engage in talks with Haqqani to broker peace in the region. A senior commander of the group rejected the offer, and said the group was not authorized to make such deals. He said the Taliban top order would decide the stance on negotiations.
The US holds the Haqqani network responsible for attacks on US troops in Kabul. The Obama administration recently opened the door for dialogue with the network. However, US military strikes continue to target the group; a suspected drone strike on Thursday in North Waziristan is alleged to have killed Jalil Haqqani, a close aide of Sirajuddin Haqqani. The Haqqani network has denied Jalil’s links to the group.
