Afghan President Hamid Karzai breaks down in tears over state of country and fears insurgency could drive his son from homeland

Daily Mail, By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE, 28th September 2010

President Hamid Karzai today broke down in tears as he called on Afghans to 'come to their senses' or risk seeing the next generation flee the country.

Speaking on national television, he identified members of a peace council that will attempt to seek a political rather than a military solution to the Taliban insurgency.

And he spoke of his fears that the problems in the country could drive his son Mirwais away from his homeland.

Plea: President Hamid Karzai weeps on television as he speaks about his fears that insurgency in Afghanistan could force his son to leave

He said: 'I do not want Mirwais, my son, to be a foreigner, I do not want this.

'I want Mirwais to be Afghan. Therefore come to your senses... you are witnessing what is happening on our soil and only through our efforts can our homeland be ours.'

Mr Karzai spent many years in exile in Pakistan while fighting against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s and later during Taliban rule.

He was speaking in front of an audience at an international literacy day in a Kabul school.

This year has been the bloodiest since the conflict began in 2001 when U.S. forces overthrew the Taliban weeks after the September 11 attacks.

But with the insurgency gaining strength despite the presence of nearly 150,000 foreign troops, there is a growing sense that talks may be the only route to peace.

Plan: Mr Karzai announced some of the members of a peace council, or jirga, aimed at coaxing Taliban insurgents away from the battlefield

Involved: Afghan women listen to the speech at a school in Kabul where Mr Karzai said insurgency threatened the next generation

In June, Mr Karzai summoned a peace jirga, or traditional gathering of tribal and community leaders.

But the Taliban have rejected the idea of talks, saying all foreign forces must leave Afghanistan.

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The new council will have more than 68 members including two former presidents, at least two former Taliban officials, as well as clerics and women.

It will try to help mediate peace talks with Taliban-led insurgents.

Its members were agreed after deliberations with tribal chiefs and power brokers, some of whom sided with the U.S. in toppling the Taliban in 2001.

He said: 'The government of Afghanistan with further seriousness... should take vigorous steps for bringing peace to this soil as soon as possible.'

Future: The peace council will include Taliban figures and women

Mr Karzai's plan involves luring Taliban foot soldiers away from the battlefield with cash and job incentives while seeking reconciliation with senior militant leaders by offering them asylum in Muslim countries and striking their names off a UN blacklist.

Donor nations, most of them in Western countries, have pledged to provided tens of millions of dollars for bringing over the foot Taliban soldiers.

Mr Karzai has set an ambitious target of 2014 for Afghanistan to take over security responsibility from U.S. and NATO forces.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who will conduct a war strategy review in December, also plans to begin a gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from July 2011 if conditions allow.

Washington's NATO allies are increasingly uneasy about the unpopular war and are eager to shift security responsibilities to Afghan forces.