But have they given up the jihad? Of course not. From AFP, with thanks to Ali Dashti:
KABUL (AFP) - The release of some 80 prisoners from US custody in Afghanistan heralds an intensified effort to bring former fighters from the Taliban militia back into mainstream society, officials said.The move could propel a wider amnesty offer aimed at Taliban foot soldiers, some of whom have waged an insurgency from the hills and caves of Afghanistan since the Islamic regime was ousted by a US-led operation in late 2001.
Chief justice Fazel Hadi Shinwari said negotiations with militants from the fundamentalist movement were continuing and some more moderate Taliban were eyeing the olive branch.
"One category of Taliban want to come back and they have contacted us and the government... and the government is providing them the opportunity to come back," Shinwari said after the detainees were freed by the US military from Bagram air base near Kabul on Sunday before the Muslim festival of Eid.
A remaining hard core of fighters, estimated by government officials to number around 100 and "whose hands are stained with blood, are not eligible for the talks and the government will not reconcile with them," Shinwari said.
Speaking to reporters at the Supreme Court on Sunday, he said the release of prisoners has been instrumental in ongoing talks.
"One prisoner whose name is Mullah Qalamuddin, who was a commander of Taliban from Logar province, was released and then he went to Taliban and came back to us with the idea of reconciliation. There are contacts with the government," Shinwari said, adding that the government was negotiating for the release of more prisoners.
However, a purported Taliban spokesman disagreed. "There hasn't been any contact between the Taliban and the government," Abdul Latif Hakimi told AFP by telephone from an unknown location.
Wednesday January 19, 01:30 PM
Poll shows world anti-Bush
By Michael Holden
Click to enlarge photo
LONDON (Reuters) - A majority of people surveyed in a global poll think the re-election of George W. Bush as U.S. president has made the world more dangerous and many view Americans negatively as well, says the BBC.
The survey by the broadcaster published on Wednesday showed that only three countries -- India, the Philippines and Poland -- out of 21 polled thought the world was safer following Bush's election win in November.
Bush will be inaugurated for his second term on Thursday.
On average across all countries, 58 percent of the 22,000 surveyed said they believed Bush's re-election made the world more dangerous.
"This is quite a grim picture for the U.S.," said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at America's University of Maryland.
The survey found that 56 percent of Americans thought Bush's win was good for the world with 39 percent disagreeing.
Traditional U.S. allies in western Europe, such as Britain (64 percent), France (75 percent), and Germany (77 percent), were among the most negative about Bush's re-election.
A majority in Italy (54 percent) and Australia (61 percent), which both have troops in Iraq, also thought his win had made the world more dangerous.
Anti-Bush sentiment was strongest in Turkey, with 82 percent thinking his win was bad for peace compared to just 6 percent in support. A large majority in Latin American countries, including 58 percent in close neighbour Mexico, were also negative.
Analysts said the poll had far-reaching implications, suggesting a serious rise in anti-U.S. feeling in general, with 42 percent saying it had made them feel worse about Americans compared to 25 percent who made it think more of them.
IRAQ OPPOSITION
There was also overwhelming opposition to sending troops to Iraq, even among close allies such as Britain.
"Fully one in four British citizens say the Bush re-election has made them more opposed to sending troops to Iraq, resulting in a total of 63 per cent now opposed," said Doug Miller, president of GlobeScan which carried out the poll.
"Our research makes very clear that the re-election of President Bush has further isolated America from the world."
The survey found that 47 percent of those questioned now see U.S. influence in the world as largely negative.
"Those saying the U.S. itself is having a clearly negative influence in the world still do not constitute a definitive world-wide majority, suggesting there may be some underlying openness to repairing relations with the U.S.," he said.
The survey was conducted between November 15, 2004 and January 5, 2005.
Wednesday January 19, 01:30 PM
Poll shows world anti-Bush
By Michael Holden
Click to enlarge photo
LONDON (Reuters) - A majority of people surveyed in a global poll think the re-election of George W. Bush as U.S. president has made the world more dangerous and many view Americans negatively as well, says the BBC.
The survey by the broadcaster published on Wednesday showed that only three countries -- India, the Philippines and Poland -- out of 21 polled thought the world was safer following Bush's election win in November.
Bush will be inaugurated for his second term on Thursday.
On average across all countries, 58 percent of the 22,000 surveyed said they believed Bush's re-election made the world more dangerous.
"This is quite a grim picture for the U.S.," said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at America's University of Maryland.
The survey found that 56 percent of Americans thought Bush's win was good for the world with 39 percent disagreeing.
Traditional U.S. allies in western Europe, such as Britain (64 percent), France (75 percent), and Germany (77 percent), were among the most negative about Bush's re-election.
A majority in Italy (54 percent) and Australia (61 percent), which both have troops in Iraq, also thought his win had made the world more dangerous.
Anti-Bush sentiment was strongest in Turkey, with 82 percent thinking his win was bad for peace compared to just 6 percent in support. A large majority in Latin American countries, including 58 percent in close neighbour Mexico, were also negative.
Analysts said the poll had far-reaching implications, suggesting a serious rise in anti-U.S. feeling in general, with 42 percent saying it had made them feel worse about Americans compared to 25 percent who made it think more of them.
IRAQ OPPOSITION
There was also overwhelming opposition to sending troops to Iraq, even among close allies such as Britain.
"Fully one in four British citizens say the Bush re-election has made them more opposed to sending troops to Iraq, resulting in a total of 63 per cent now opposed," said Doug Miller, president of GlobeScan which carried out the poll.
"Our research makes very clear that the re-election of President Bush has further isolated America from the world."
The survey found that 47 percent of those questioned now see U.S. influence in the world as largely negative.
"Those saying the U.S. itself is having a clearly negative influence in the world still do not constitute a definitive world-wide majority, suggesting there may be some underlying openness to repairing relations with the U.S.," he said.
The survey was conducted between November 15, 2004 and January 5, 2005.
Wednesday January 19, 01:30 PM
Poll shows world anti-Bush
By Michael Holden
Click to enlarge photo
LONDON (Reuters) - A majority of people surveyed in a global poll think the re-election of George W. Bush as U.S. president has made the world more dangerous and many view Americans negatively as well, says the BBC.
The survey by the broadcaster published on Wednesday showed that only three countries -- India, the Philippines and Poland -- out of 21 polled thought the world was safer following Bush's election win in November.
Bush will be inaugurated for his second term on Thursday.
On average across all countries, 58 percent of the 22,000 surveyed said they believed Bush's re-election made the world more dangerous.
"This is quite a grim picture for the U.S.," said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at America's University of Maryland.
The survey found that 56 percent of Americans thought Bush's win was good for the world with 39 percent disagreeing.
Traditional U.S. allies in western Europe, such as Britain (64 percent), France (75 percent), and Germany (77 percent), were among the most negative about Bush's re-election.
A majority in Italy (54 percent) and Australia (61 percent), which both have troops in Iraq, also thought his win had made the world more dangerous.
Anti-Bush sentiment was strongest in Turkey, with 82 percent thinking his win was bad for peace compared to just 6 percent in support. A large majority in Latin American countries, including 58 percent in close neighbour Mexico, were also negative.
Analysts said the poll had far-reaching implications, suggesting a serious rise in anti-U.S. feeling in general, with 42 percent saying it had made them feel worse about Americans compared to 25 percent who made it think more of them.
IRAQ OPPOSITION
There was also overwhelming opposition to sending troops to Iraq, even among close allies such as Britain.
"Fully one in four British citizens say the Bush re-election has made them more opposed to sending troops to Iraq, resulting in a total of 63 per cent now opposed," said Doug Miller, president of GlobeScan which carried out the poll.
"Our research makes very clear that the re-election of President Bush has further isolated America from the world."
The survey found that 47 percent of those questioned now see U.S. influence in the world as largely negative.
"Those saying the U.S. itself is having a clearly negative influence in the world still do not constitute a definitive world-wide majority, suggesting there may be some underlying openness to repairing relations with the U.S.," he said.
The survey was conducted between November 15, 2004 and January 5, 2005.