Abdul Salam Rocketti

Abdul Salam Rocketti is a Taliban commander known for shooting down a Soviet helicopter during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20050915/ai_n15357324 Former Taliban leaders renounce past to stand in Afghan elections] , "The Independent", September 15 2005]

Rocketti stood for election to Afghanistan's legislature in 2005. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20050915/ai_n15357324 Former Taliban leaders renounce past to stand in Afghan elections] , "The Independent", September 15 2005] The Asia Times described him as one of the former Taliban who: "...act as the Taliban's political wing in Kabul."cite news
url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IE19Df03.html
title=Afghan battle lines become blurred
date=May 19, 2007
author=M K Bhadrakumar
publisher=Asia Times
accessdate=2007-11-03]

According to the "Sydney Morning Herald" Rocketti, commenting on a recent Taliban offensive in 2006, saidcite news
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/afghanistan-wakes-to-false-dawn/2006/07/14/1152637872442.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
title=Afghanistan wakes to false dawn
author=Paul McGeough
publisher=Sydney Morning Herald
date=July 15, 2006
accessdate=2007-11-03] : quotation|"They don't have the power to take territory and hold it for a long time. But they can disturb the peace and, day by day, that causes instability … they can't fight the foreigners for long periods, but they can take on the Afghan military."

In the summer of 2007 Rocketti and Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban's former Ambassador to Pakistan were reported to have entered into negotiation with the more moderate factions within the Taliban.cite news
publisher=Asia Times
url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IH24Df01.html
date=August 24, 2007
title=Talks with the Taliban gain ground
author=Syed Saleem Shahzad
accessdate=2007-11-03] cite news
title=Staying the course in Afghanistan
author=M.K. Bhadrakumar
url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/06/stories/2007100653791200.htm
date=Saturday, October 6, 2007
accessdate=2007-11-03] According to the "Asia Times": quotation|"An official of a Kabul-based European body that has had a major role in facilitating the talks between the Taliban and coalition forces confirmed to Asia Times Online, on condition of anonymity, that high-level talks between Taliban commanders and coalition forces through Rocketti and Zaeef had taken place in an attempt to find a broader political settlement."

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