October 20, 2008	Monday	Shawwal 20, 1429

TEHRAN, Oct 19: Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned the West on Sunday not to push for talks with the Taliban militia which had stormy relations with Tehran when it ruled Afghanistan up to 2001.

“Today, the whole world knows about the strategic failure of foreign forces in Afghanistan and we advise them not to try a new failure,” Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference.

“We advise them to think about the consequences of the talks (with the Taliban) which are taking place in the region and in Europe and avoid being bitten in the same spot twice,” he said.

Last month, Afghan government representatives met Taliban leaders in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the insurgency that has plagued Afghanistan ever since the militia was ousted from power in a US-led invasion seven years ago, the Saudi-owned daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

Several western countries have expressed support for negotiations with the Taliban.

“The West should not think that they can confine extremism to Afghanistan, Pakistan and central Asia,” Mottaki said, warning that extremism would one day also reach Europe and the West.—AFP