KABUL, 3 December 2004 — The United States called on Taleban guerrillas to lay down their arms yesterday, saying Afghans had voted against violence and those who gave up their insurgency would not be punished unless they were guilty of major crimes.

A Taleban spokesman immediately rejected the call from US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, calling it insincere and saying Afghanistan’s problems “will not be solved through peace.”

Khalilzad told a news conference that presidential elections in October won by Western-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai had been “a spectacular success” and showed Afghans had rejected violence.

“The continuation of armed resistance against the elected government is not only against the will of the Afghan people, but is also against Islam, which commands obedience to the legitimate authority,” he said.

Khalilzad called on Afghans to deny sanctuary to militants and said the government was willing to accept back into society those who turned in their weapons and obeyed Afghan law.

He urged guerrillas to pledge allegiance to the government by making contact with US-led forces or Afghan authorities.

“In return they will not be punished,” he said.

Khalilzad said he believed there many former Taleban members wanted to stop fighting. “We have many indications of that in terms of contacts they are making with our people and others.

“Young Afghans should not allow themselves to be used as cannon fodder by the enemies of Afghanistan.”

However there could be no amnesty for those responsible for crimes against humanity or the Afghan people, Khalilzad said, apparently referring to militants connected to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

Karzai has in the past offered pardons to Taleban fighters, but not to up to 150 leaders it accuses of major crimes.

Despite this and Khalilzad’s comments, there have been few indications that guerrillas active since the Taleban’s overthrow by US-led forces in 2001 are willing to defect in any numbers — even though they failed in their vow to disrupt the elections.

The Taleban have vowed to continue their jihad, or “holy war” until all foreign troops leave Afghanistan and spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi mocked Khalilzad’s call.

“We thank him for his kind offer. They are the criminals for destroying our homeland. Our problems will not be solved through peace. None of the mujahideen will compromise with them and the mujahideen are standing against the enemies.

“The door of reconciliation and peace is not open to us,” he said. “This is just a deception.”

Khalilzad said one of the challenges for the new administration after Karzai is sworn in next Tuesday would be to work out a plan of accountability and reconciliation after more than a quarter of a century of war.

How far this went and whether it was limited to the Taleban or part of a broader effort taking in other players involved in the country’s civil war was up to the government, he said.

“I know they are working on that as one of the top issues.”

Khalilzad said US-led forces were hunting Taleban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and would be relentless in their pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, whose Al-Qaeda network carried out the Sept. 11 attacks and was sheltered by the Taleban.

US officials say they believe both men are hiding somewhere in the rugged borderlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan.