SPIN BOLDAK, Dec 9: The Taliban said on Saturday they might join proposed tribal councils aimed at ending mounting violence in Afghanistan, if they were asked.

Afghanistan and Pakistan plan separate and joint councils, or jirgas, in both countries in a bid to stem an insurgency that has triggered the worst fighting since the Taliban's strict Islamist government was ousted from Kabul in 2001.

But they have not agreed on who will take part, and where or when the jirgas will be.

Key government and political leaders on both sides say at least moderate elements of the resurgent Taliban should be included in any talks to end the fighting.

“Taliban are Afghanistan's biggest political and military power and without them no system will succeed,” Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said by satellite telephone from a secret location.

Mr Yousuf said Taliban had not been invited to the jirgas.

He said if they were, they would set conditions. “So far, it appears that it is only a government-level jirga between Pakistan and Afghanistan. If any group is ignored, it will be nothing but a political meeting,” Mr Yousuf said and added: “Those who call Taliban weak are foolish.”

The aim of the jirgas along the uncontrolled frontier is to unite tribal elders divided by colonial boundaries and revitalise local and traditional rule where government rule is useless.

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf agreed on the jirgas during talks with US President George W. Bush in Washington in September.

—Reuters