Expelled diplomats fly out of Afghanistan

One Irish and one British diplomat expelled from Afghanistan after they were accused of talking to the Taliban have now left the country, it was confirmed today.

Sources in the capital, Kabul, said the pair flew out on the same plane early this morning after two days of negotiations failed to prevent them being thrown out.

Irishman Michael Semple, deputy head of the EU mission in Kabul, and Mervyn Patterson, a senior UN official, understood to be from Belfast, visited Musa Qala in Helmand province on Monday.

The pair spoke to local leaders on the ground in the town which was recaptured by British and Afghan troops earlier this month.

The UN said today that the talks were part of a process of reconnecting with people of all persuasions including “disaffected tribes and communities” but insisted that did not include the Taliban or terrorists.

Aleem Siddique, senior UN spokesman in Afghanistan, later said that reconciliation efforts did, however, target those who had been on the fringes of the Taliban.

The Afghan government accused the pair of acting in a way which was “detrimental to the national security of the country”.

President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, claimed they were involved in activities “that were not their jobs”.

The UN vowed to continue talks to ensure its official would be allowed back into the country as soon as possible.

Mr Siddique said: “I can confirm that one staff member has now left the country following a request from the government of Afghanistan. Negotiations are ongoing with the government of Afghanistan to ensure his return so that we can continue with the vital work of building peace in this country.”

Mr Siddique blamed a “misunderstanding” for the expulsions.

“There is a miscommunication between the authorities in Helmand province and the central government, and that’s what we’re trying to clear up,” he said.

“We don’t talk to Taliban, full stop.”

Both men have worked in Afghanistan for many years, speak local languages fluently and understand the country’s complex tribal structures.

The diplomatic row follows claims the British secret service has itself held secret peace talks with senior Taliban insurgents.

Western analysis of the Taliban usually distinguishes between the so-called “tier-one Taliban” – the hardcore zealots in the most senior positions – and the various layers below them.

These range from well-trained and highly motivated fighters, many of whom come from the semi-lawless tribal areas of Pakistan, down to hired local foot soldiers, often referred to as “10-dollar Taliban”.

“The word Taliban is used as a catch-all phrase for the bad guys and it’s not as black and white as that,” Mr Siddique told Sky News.

“You are looking at a complex tribal situation in Helmand province where there are people that have been coerced into fighting for the Taliban.

“There are those that have been paid to fight for the Taliban and there are those that feel as though they have been left out from the development process taking place in this country.

“An important part of our effort and the government’s effort has been to reach out to those disaffected communities that aren’t the hardcore elements of the Taliban – they’re on the fringes of the Taliban, they’re on the outside of the Taliban – and getting them to commit to the huge effort for peace and reconciliation that is taking place in this country.

“That does not mean that we are talking to the Taliban. What that does mean is that we are trying to help the government to reconnect with disaffected tribes and communities.”