Warm reception seen for Israeli leader in Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel's prime minister didn't close ranks with President Barack Obama on how to deal with Iran's suspect nuclear program, but he can expect a warm reception to his tough talk when he visits Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Benjamin Netanyahu got a preview of what to expect when Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told the pro-Israel lobby on Monday that the U.S. should use overwhelming military force against Iran if it learns Tehran has decided to build a nuclear bomb or has started to enrich uranium to weapons-grade level.

"In the weeks and months ahead, Israel and the United States face a day of reckoning," the Kentucky Republican told the America Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. "We either do what it takes to preserve the balance of power within the broader Middle East or risk a nuclear arms race across the region that's almost certain to upend it."

On Tuesday, three Republican presidential candidates will address the AIPAC gathering, trying to establish their own pro-Israel credibility on the same day 10 states hold primary voting contests. All have said Obama has mishandled Iran.

At the start of their White House meeting Monday morning, Obama and Netanyahu tried to present a united front on the nuclear threat emanating from Iran. The U.S. leader reaffirmed that he would resort to military force, if necessary, to keep Iran from getting a bomb and said the U.S. "always has Israel's back where Israel's security is concerned."

But the two men were unable to plaster over differences on how urgently military force might be needed.

For the second time in two days, Netanyahu ignored Obama's appeal to give diplomacy and sanctions time to percolate, emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself militarily and suggesting he would not be swayed from going it alone if he thought Israel had to move faster to protect itself.

The very purpose of the Jewish state, he told Obama in a mildly lecturing tone, is "to restore to the Jewish people control over our destiny," he said.

Later in the day, before a record turnout of the pro-Israel lobby, he reasserted Israel's right to defend itself and said his country had "patiently waited" for diplomacy and sanctions to work.

"None of us can afford to wait much longer," he told AIPAC. "As prime minister of Israel, I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation," he said to a roaring standing ovation.

Tehran claims its nuclear program is designed chiefly to generate electricity and does not have a military component, but neither the U.S. nor Israel believes that. The head of the U.N. nuclear agency fed concerns further Monday by saying his organization has "serious concerns" that Iran may be hiding secret atomic weapons work.

Israel feels especially vulnerable to the Iranian nuclear threat because of Tehran's repeated references to the Jewish state's destruction and its arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to the Jewish state.

Israel is much more openly skeptical than the U.S. about stopping Iran through sanctions and diplomacy because years of talks and penalties have so far failed.

Disagreements between the two allies also run deep over when a strike might be appropriate and how effective a unilateral Israeli attack might be against scattered and heavily fortified Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israel says it has not made a decision on whether to launch an attack. But some Israeli officials say the time to strike is growing short, and say Israel must act by summer if it is to act at all.

The Obama administration sees this course as dangerously premature, arguing that Tehran has not yet decided whether to actually produce atomic weapons and might still respond to non-military pressure. Because of its superior firepower, the U.S. reasons it would be able to act many months after Israel could.

Political considerations have also come into play. A unilateral Israeli strike in the coming months would threaten to ignite the Mideast, drag the U.S. into another conflict and drive up global oil prices just before U.S. presidential elections in November.

Despite the history of tension between them, Obama and Netanyahu tried to downplay their differences Monday.

Obama has little appetite for taking on Israel in an election year. And Netanyahu would have little to gain from sparring with a president whose support might be crucial if Israel decides to act alone against Iran.

But if Netanyahu has not publicly played up differences with the Obama administration over Iran, then Republican supporters in Congress have done that job for him.

Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum will be addressing AIPAC by video in between campaign stops Tuesday. They have all tried to paint Obama as an undependable partner for Israel, and as weak on Iran.

Obama noted the campaign-season rhetoric in his own address to AIPAC on Sunday, and assured conference participants that he was solidly committed to guaranteeing Israel's security.

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U.S. sees 'more of the same' from new N.Korea leader

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New North Korean leader Kim Jung-un looks unlikely to depart from the nuclear brinkmanship, threats to his region and repression of his father and grandfather, the top U.S. military commander for the Asia-Pacific region said on Tuesday.

"He's a Kim, and he's surrounded by an uncle and Kim Jong-il's sister and others that I think are guiding his actions," said Admiral Robert Willard, head of U.S. Pacific Command.

"So in that sense, we would expect ... more of the same. The strategy has been successful through two generations," he told a U.S. Senate Armed services Committee hearing in Washington.

"It wouldn't surprise us to see an effort to make the strategy work for a third," added Willard.

The Hawaii-based admiral described the hereditary Kim strategy as one that "embraces nuclearization, missile development, WMD proliferation, provocations and totalitarian control over North Korean society."

Kim Jong-un, 29, is the son of the former leader Kim Jong-il, who died suddenly in December having built a state with nuclear weapons capacity and presided over a famine that killed millions of North Koreans in the 1990s.

In the communist world's first hereditary succession, Kim Jong-il took over the impoverished country of 23 million people when his father, state founder Kim Il-sung, died in 1994.

"We're observing closely for signs of instability or evidence that the leadership transition is faltering," said Willard.

"We believe Kim Jong-un to be tightly surrounded by (Kim Jong-il) associates, and for the time being the succession appears to be on course," he added.

Willard's testimony comes after North Korea threatened on Saturday to wage a "sacred war" in response to joint military exercises planned by South Korea and the United States.

The sabre-rattling by North Korea followed talks with the United States last week on its nuclear program and food aid, the first under Kim Jong-un. Willard said cooperation with North Korea to recover the remains of U.S. soldiers missing since the 1950-53 Korean War was set to resume soon.

Kim Jong-un, as "a young man and relatively untested," could be open to "those around him may have some differences of opinion regarding the direction that North Korea heads" and the influence of China, said Willard.

(Reporting By Paul Eckert)

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Afghan leader asks for Pakistani help in peace bid

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Afghan president is appealing for Pakistan's help in negotiating a peace deal with Taliban militants ahead of a summit that will also include the leader of Iran.

The meetings in Islamabad come at a time when momentum for peace talks with the Taliban seems to be growing, even as all parties to a stuttering process marked by intense mistrust say that success in ending the 10-year war in Afghanistan is far from certain.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday that talks among the U.S, the Afghan government and the Taliban had taken place in the past month. If true, it would mark a significant development because until now the Taliban had said they would only negotiate with the Americans, contending that Karzai was a puppet leader and that their movement was the legitimate ruler in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied Karzai's comments that negotiations have already taken place. "The Taliban did not talk with the Kabul government anywhere," he said in a statement.

Pakistan is regarded as a key player in any peace process because its historical ties with the Taliban and other insurgents mean Islamabad could help bring them to the table or be a spoiler. The Taliban leadership is widely believed to be based in Pakistan, and under some influence of the country's security establishment.

Iran, which also neighbors Afghanistan and Pakistan, is also important to the future stability of Afghanistan. In the past, it supported campaigns against the Taliban, a radical Sunni Muslim group opposed to the Shiites who make up a majority of Iran's population. But some reports have suggested Tehran — Washington's archenemy — also has supported the Taliban against U.S. troops.

The U.S. launched the war in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, but has been unable to defeat the Taliban, which once sheltered Osama bin Laden. Washington wants to withdraw most of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and try to ensure the country remains moderately stable.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been badly strained, but the meeting between Karzai and President Asif Ali Zardari suggested that ties are improving. An Afghan statement said the leaders had agreed to restart a joint peace commission that was shelved after the assassination last year of Afghanistan's envoy to Taliban peace talks in Kabul.

Afghan officials had accused Pakistan of playing a role in the killing — allegations it denied.

In a statement, Zardari said Karzai said at the meeting Thursday that Pakistan's support "was critical to the success of the Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process" and that both countries should cooperate for peace.

Earlier, Ismail Qasemyar, the international relations adviser to the Afghan-government appointed council for talks with the Taliban, said Karzai would ask Zardari to "put positive and constructive pressure" over the Taliban.

During his three-day trip, President Karzai is also scheduled to meet Pakistani clerics and politicians who are close to the Afghan Taliban in a bid to get their support for peace. They include Maulana Samiul Haq, who is known as the spiritual father of the Taliban because he runs an Islamic seminary in northwestern Pakistan that has taught many of the group's leaders.

"This is a time when the Taliban are defeating Western forces in Afghanistan," Haq told The Associated Press. "A forceful stance by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran will bring peace and stability in this region by pushing out the foreign forces."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Islamabad in the late afternoon and met separately with Zardari. The two men discussed a proposed pipeline that would deliver natural gas from Iran to Pakistan, according to a statement from Zardari.

The U.S. opposes the initiative. It wants to isolate Tehran because of its nuclear program, and is threatening sanctions against Islamabad if the project goes ahead. Pakistan says it needs the gas to meet chronic energy shortages.

On Friday, all three leaders will meet for talks likely to focus on the Afghan war.

Ahmadinejad's trip coincides with rising Western concerns after Iranian state TV broadcast pictures of the president overseeing what was described as the first Iranian-made fuel rod being inserted into a research reactor in northern Tehran. Tensions between Israel and Iran are also rising following an attack in India on an Israeli diplomat, an attempted bombing in Georgia and a botched bomb plot in Thailand — all of which Israel has blamed on Iran.

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U.N. General Assembly condemns Syrian leader

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a resolution backing an Arab League plan calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down and strongly condemning human rights violations by his regime.

The vote in the 193-member world body on the Arab-sponsored resolution was 137-12 with 17 abstentions. Several countries complained immediately afterward that they unable to vote due to problems with the U.N.'s voting machine.

Russia and China, who vetoed a similar resolution in the Security Council, voted against the General Assembly measure along with North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and others who heeded Syria's appeal to vote "no."

Supporters were hoping for a high "yes" vote to deliver a strong message to Assad to hand power to his vice president and immediately stop the bloody crackdown that has killed over 5,400 people. The measure had over 70 co-sponsors and won support from more than two-thirds of the General Assembly.

"Today, the U.N. General Assembly sent a clear message to the people of Syria: the world is with you," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said in a statement. President Assad "has never been more isolated. A rapid transition to democracy in Syria has garnered the resounding support of the international community. Change must now come."

Saudi Arabia's U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi called it "a victory for the Syria people," the U.N. and the Arab League.

"It is a message that the international community is sending loud and clear that the struggle of the Syrian people is not unheard and is not unresponded to," he said, and it reaffirms that the Security Council's failure to adopt a resolution on Syria earlier this month "does not reflect the will and the desire of the international community."

There are no vetoes in the General Assembly and while their resolutions are not legally binding, they do reflect world opinion on major issues.

The transfer of power to Syria's vice president is part of the Arab League plan for a transitional government which was adopted on Jan. 22. It calls for the establishment of a national unity government within two months to prepare for internationally supervised parliamentary and presidential elections.

Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari warned that the resolution will send a message to extremists that "violence and deliberate sabotage" are acceptable and will lead "to more chaos and more crisis."qqqq

After the vote, a bitter Ja'afari told the assembly: "The Arab Trojan horse has been unmasked today." He called the 22-nation Arab League, from which Syria has been suspended, "broken both politically and morally." He also accused the cosponsors of using the Arab League to internationalize the situation in Syria.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov called the assembly resolution "unbalanced," saying "it directs all the demands at the government, and says nothing about the opposition," according to Russian news agencies.

The resolution condemns "all violence, irrespective of where it comes from, and calls upon all parties in Syria, including armed groups, to immediately stop all violence or reprisals."

But Arab countries on Tuesday rejected amendments proposed by Russia, which has been one of Syria's strongest backers since the Cold War when the president's late father, Hafez Assad, led the country.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said his country voted against the resolution because its proposed amendments were ignored.

One called on "all sections of the Syrian opposition to dissociate themselves from armed groups engaged in acts of violence" and urged countries with influence to prevent continued violence by such groups. The other demanded that the withdrawal of all Syrian armed forces from cities and towns — which is called for in the Arab League plan — take place "in conjunction with the end of attacks by armed groups against state institutions and quarters of cities and towns."

Arab sponsors couldn't accept these amendments because they sought to equate the Assad regime's crackdown on civilian protesters with the opposition that rose up to confront the violent attacks, U.N. diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.

Many countries expressed regret that more effort wasn't made to try to incorporate Russia's amendments and obtain a broader consensus.

Churkin stressed that the key to resolving the Syrian crisis is "through an inclusive political process led by the Syrians themselves."

China's deputy ambassador Wang Min reiterated Beijing's opposition to "armed intervention or forcing a so-called regime change in Syria." But he supported Arab calls for an immediate end to the violence.

It was the second time in two months that the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning human rights violations in Syria and demanding an end to the violence.

The latest resolution makes no specific reference to the Arab League's call Sunday for the Security Council to authorize a joint Arab-U.N. peacekeeping force for Syria, or to the possibility of a joint observer mission going to Syria.

It makes five demands — that the Syrian government stop all violence, release all those detained during the unrest, withdraw all armed forces from cities and towns, guarantee peaceful demonstrations, and allow unhindered access for Arab League monitors and international media.

It also asks U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consider the appointment of a special envoy to Syria, possibly jointly with the Arab League.

Egypt's deputy ambassador Osama Abdelkhalek, speaking for the Arab group, stressed that Thursday's resolution "is just the start."

He appealed to the Syrian parties, government and international community "to work hand in hand, support the Arab efforts, so that we would be able within very few weeks ... to find one last solution, settlement, to the very serious situation in Syria."

___

Associated Press Writer Anita Snow contributed to this report from the United Nations

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Birthday turns into memorial for NKorean leader

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Two months after the death of Kim Jong Il, North Koreans commemorated what would have been his 70th birthday Thursday with the flowers that bear his name, praising the longtime leader as a powerful but benevolent father figure while pledging fealty to the son who has taken his place.

In frigid Pyongyang, new leader Kim Jong Un, wearing a dark Mao suit and a solemn expression, led senior officials and military leaders into a hall in Kumsusan Memorial Palace to bow deeply before a large portrait of a smiling Kim Jong Il.

Hundreds more followed Kim Jong Un, lining up in rows in front of his father's portrait to pay their respects before filing out of the hall under the watch of a uniformed honor guard with rifles. A huge wreath of flowers stood near the portrait.

At Kim Il Sung Square, the main plaza in the capital city, North Koreans bowed and laid flowers, including red "kimjongilia" begonias, at another portrait of Kim Jong Il hanging on the Grand People's Study House. Among them was Paek Won Chol, who described himself as a "soldier and disciple" of Kim.

"I will devote my all for the building of a powerful and prosperous nation" under Kim's son, Kim Jong Un, Paek said.

Last month, top leaders of the Workers' Party announced that Kim Jong Il's body would lie in state at Kumsusan, where his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, already lies in state.

Among those paying respects with Kim Jong Un were the country's nominal head of state, Kim Yong Nam; Premier Choe Yong Rim; Kang Sok Ju, a vice premier who was Kim Jong Il's key foreign policy adviser; and Kim Ok, a woman believed to have been Kim Jong Il's companion.

The veneration of Kim Jong Il has accelerated in recent weeks, but festivities have been muted in light of his Dec. 17 death of a heart attack, which plunged the nation into mourning and propelled his young son into the seat of power just three years after he was anointed his father's successor. The leadership has emphasized Kim's legacy while praising Kim Jong Un as the only choice to lead this socialist nation of 24 million.

Kim Jong Il ruled with an iron fist for 17 years, a period that included a famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands of people and protracted tensions over the nation's drive to build nuclear weapons. Food shortages persist in North Korea and relations with South Korea are at their lowest point in years.

Composers have crafted new odes to Kim Jong Il, while sculptors have chiseled slogans honoring him into the sides of mountains. His birthday was renamed "Day of the Shining Star," and this week he was accorded a new title: Generalissimo.

Workers fanned out across the city this week to spruce up Pyongyang, though there were no indications that a major party was being planned. Workers crouched over frozen flower beds, chipping at the ice to plant flowers made of fabric.

By Wednesday, the red flag of the Workers' Party and the red, white and blue flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea — North Korea's formal name — fluttered from posts. Posters and banners honoring the Day of the Shining Star brightened up buildings and sidewalks.

Women donned shimmering traditional Korean dresses in a rainbow of colors for special concerts and exhibitions staged in Kim Jong Il's honor. People hurried down streets carrying plastic bouquets of four favorite flowers: red kimjongilia begonias, fuchsia kimilsungia orchids, and the pink and lavender azaleas favored by Kim Jong Il's mother.

On Tuesday, the nation's top political and military leaders assembled to watch the unveiling of the first bronze statue of Kim Jong Il. The sculpture, built at Kim Jong Un's request, depicts Kim Jong Il in his younger years astride a rearing horse with his father, also on horseback, at his side.

Portraits of Kim Jong Il show him smiling beatifically, and a stamp issued following his death captures him sharing a laugh with Kim Jong Un.

Those images are replicated across Pyongyang in huge portraits hanging at the People's Palace of Culture, a flower exhibition featuring his kimjongilia begonias and at a book fair at the Grand People's Study House.

It's an image that contrasts with Kim Jong Il in his later years, as he reportedly recovered from a stroke and battled chronic illness. He often appeared in public wearing a heavy parka and dark sunglasses.

The North's leadership has also sought to portray Kim as a defender of the nation, which has remained in a technical state of war with the United States since the 1950s, when the Korean War left the Korean Peninsula divided into north and south. During his rule, Kim focused on building nuclear weapons, calling them necessary protection against the U.S. military presence in South Korea even as they drew sanctions and cost the nation much-needed aid.

Kim Yong Nam, the nominal head of state, praised Kim on Tuesday for "turning our country into an invincible one that can never be defeated and has a nuclear deterrent."

Kim Jong Il is also being portrayed as a man of the people. While his father often wore a Western-style suit and tie, Kim Jong Il eschewed such formality. In his younger years, he wore a high-necked Mao suit; later in life, he stuck to a khaki work suit and, in winter, the parka.

One display at a stamp exhibition in Pyongyang paid homage to the leader's plebeian choice of clothing, calling it proof that he was devoted to working for the people. He was a man, according to state media, who died while working on the special train he took to provide "on-the-spot guidance" across the country.

While North Korea's leadership has venerated Kim, it has also emphasized Kim Jong Un's links to his revered grandfather, whom Kim Jong Un resembles in looks and style.

Shedding the quiet demeanor he displayed when his father was alive, Kim Jong Un wasted no time in asserting himself as the new leader, making energetic visits to military units seen as important to his father's "military first" policy.

North Koreans are celebrating the son as they remember the father at events that on Wednesday included an international skating show and a synchronized swimming show. Both opened with mournful odes to Kim Jong Il and ended with a new song for his son: "We Will Defend Gen. Kim Jong Un at the Risk of Our Lives."

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Follow AP Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee at twitter.com/newsjean.

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U.N. General Assembly condemns Syrian leader

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a resolution backing an Arab League plan calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down and strongly condemning human rights violations by his regime.

The vote in the 193-member world body on the Arab-sponsored resolution was 137-12 with 17 abstentions. Several countries complained immediately afterward that they unable to vote due to problems with the U.N.'s voting machine.

Russia and China, who vetoed a similar resolution in the Security Council, voted against the General Assembly measure along with North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and others who heeded Syria's appeal to vote "no."

Supporters were hoping for a high "yes" vote to deliver a strong message to Assad to hand power to his vice president and immediately stop the bloody crackdown that has killed over 5,400 people. The measure had over 70 co-sponsors and won support from more than two-thirds of the General Assembly.

"Today, the U.N. General Assembly sent a clear message to the people of Syria: the world is with you," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said in a statement. President Assad "has never been more isolated. A rapid transition to democracy in Syria has garnered the resounding support of the international community. Change must now come."

Saudi Arabia's U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi called it "a victory for the Syria people," the U.N. and the Arab League.

"It is a message that the international community is sending loud and clear that the struggle of the Syrian people is not unheard and is not unresponded to," he said, and it reaffirms that the Security Council's failure to adopt a resolution on Syria earlier this month "does not reflect the will and the desire of the international community."

There are no vetoes in the General Assembly and while their resolutions are not legally binding, they do reflect world opinion on major issues.

The transfer of power to Syria's vice president is part of the Arab League plan for a transitional government which was adopted on Jan. 22. It calls for the establishment of a national unity government within two months to prepare for internationally supervised parliamentary and presidential elections.

Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari warned that the resolution will send a message to extremists that "violence and deliberate sabotage" are acceptable and will lead "to more chaos and more crisis."qqqq

After the vote, a bitter Ja'afari told the assembly: "The Arab Trojan horse has been unmasked today." He called the 22-nation Arab League, from which Syria has been suspended, "broken both politically and morally." He also accused the cosponsors of using the Arab League to internationalize the situation in Syria.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov called the assembly resolution "unbalanced," saying "it directs all the demands at the government, and says nothing about the opposition," according to Russian news agencies.

The resolution condemns "all violence, irrespective of where it comes from, and calls upon all parties in Syria, including armed groups, to immediately stop all violence or reprisals."

But Arab countries on Tuesday rejected amendments proposed by Russia, which has been one of Syria's strongest backers since the Cold War when the president's late father, Hafez Assad, led the country.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said his country voted against the resolution because its proposed amendments were ignored.

One called on "all sections of the Syrian opposition to dissociate themselves from armed groups engaged in acts of violence" and urged countries with influence to prevent continued violence by such groups. The other demanded that the withdrawal of all Syrian armed forces from cities and towns — which is called for in the Arab League plan — take place "in conjunction with the end of attacks by armed groups against state institutions and quarters of cities and towns."

Arab sponsors couldn't accept these amendments because they sought to equate the Assad regime's crackdown on civilian protesters with the opposition that rose up to confront the violent attacks, U.N. diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.

Many countries expressed regret that more effort wasn't made to try to incorporate Russia's amendments and obtain a broader consensus.

Churkin stressed that the key to resolving the Syrian crisis is "through an inclusive political process led by the Syrians themselves."

China's deputy ambassador Wang Min reiterated Beijing's opposition to "armed intervention or forcing a so-called regime change in Syria." But he supported Arab calls for an immediate end to the violence.

It was the second time in two months that the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning human rights violations in Syria and demanding an end to the violence.

The latest resolution makes no specific reference to the Arab League's call Sunday for the Security Council to authorize a joint Arab-U.N. peacekeeping force for Syria, or to the possibility of a joint observer mission going to Syria.

It makes five demands — that the Syrian government stop all violence, release all those detained during the unrest, withdraw all armed forces from cities and towns, guarantee peaceful demonstrations, and allow unhindered access for Arab League monitors and international media.

It also asks U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to consider the appointment of a special envoy to Syria, possibly jointly with the Arab League.

Egypt's deputy ambassador Osama Abdelkhalek, speaking for the Arab group, stressed that Thursday's resolution "is just the start."

He appealed to the Syrian parties, government and international community "to work hand in hand, support the Arab efforts, so that we would be able within very few weeks ... to find one last solution, settlement, to the very serious situation in Syria."

___

Associated Press Writer Anita Snow contributed to this report from the United Nations

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Afghan leader asks for Pakistani help in peace bid

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Afghan president is appealing for Pakistan's help in negotiating a peace deal with Taliban militants ahead of a summit that will also include the leader of Iran.

The meetings in Islamabad come at a time when momentum for peace talks with the Taliban seems to be growing, even as all parties to a stuttering process marked by intense mistrust say that success in ending the 10-year war in Afghanistan is far from certain.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday that talks among the U.S, the Afghan government and the Taliban had taken place in the past month. If true, it would mark a significant development because until now the Taliban had said they would only negotiate with the Americans, contending that Karzai was a puppet leader and that their movement was the legitimate ruler in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied Karzai's comments that negotiations have already taken place. "The Taliban did not talk with the Kabul government anywhere," he said in a statement.

Pakistan is regarded as a key player in any peace process because its historical ties with the Taliban and other insurgents mean Islamabad could help bring them to the table or be a spoiler. The Taliban leadership is widely believed to be based in Pakistan, and under some influence of the country's security establishment.

Iran, which also neighbors Afghanistan and Pakistan, is also important to the future stability of Afghanistan. In the past, it supported campaigns against the Taliban, a radical Sunni Muslim group opposed to the Shiites who make up a majority of Iran's population. But some reports have suggested Tehran — Washington's archenemy — also has supported the Taliban against U.S. troops.

The U.S. launched the war in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, but has been unable to defeat the Taliban, which once sheltered Osama bin Laden. Washington wants to withdraw most of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and try to ensure the country remains moderately stable.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been badly strained, but the meeting between Karzai and President Asif Ali Zardari suggested that ties are improving. An Afghan statement said the leaders had agreed to restart a joint peace commission that was shelved after the assassination last year of Afghanistan's envoy to Taliban peace talks in Kabul.

Afghan officials had accused Pakistan of playing a role in the killing — allegations it denied.

In a statement, Zardari said Karzai said at the meeting Thursday that Pakistan's support "was critical to the success of the Afghan owned and Afghan led peace process" and that both countries should cooperate for peace.

Earlier, Ismail Qasemyar, the international relations adviser to the Afghan-government appointed council for talks with the Taliban, said Karzai would ask Zardari to "put positive and constructive pressure" over the Taliban.

During his three-day trip, President Karzai is also scheduled to meet Pakistani clerics and politicians who are close to the Afghan Taliban in a bid to get their support for peace. They include Maulana Samiul Haq, who is known as the spiritual father of the Taliban because he runs an Islamic seminary in northwestern Pakistan that has taught many of the group's leaders.

"This is a time when the Taliban are defeating Western forces in Afghanistan," Haq told The Associated Press. "A forceful stance by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran will bring peace and stability in this region by pushing out the foreign forces."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Islamabad in the late afternoon and met separately with Zardari. The two men discussed a proposed pipeline that would deliver natural gas from Iran to Pakistan, according to a statement from Zardari.

The U.S. opposes the initiative. It wants to isolate Tehran because of its nuclear program, and is threatening sanctions against Islamabad if the project goes ahead. Pakistan says it needs the gas to meet chronic energy shortages.

On Friday, all three leaders will meet for talks likely to focus on the Afghan war.

Ahmadinejad's trip coincides with rising Western concerns after Iranian state TV broadcast pictures of the president overseeing what was described as the first Iranian-made fuel rod being inserted into a research reactor in northern Tehran. Tensions between Israel and Iran are also rising following an attack in India on an Israeli diplomat, an attempted bombing in Georgia and a botched bomb plot in Thailand — all of which Israel has blamed on Iran.

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