Q+A: Is Afghanistan's jirga a real chance for peace?

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan is holding a three-day jirga, or a traditional gathering of tribal elders and other leaders, beginning Wednesday to discuss ways to end a nine-year war now in its deadliest phase.

Following are some questions and answers relating to the conference:

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?

President Hamid Karzai is hoping the consultative jirga will set a course toward national reconciliation after years of fighting between a resurgent Taliban and U.S.-led NATO forces which many see as resulting in a bloody stalemate. The idea is to build a consensus on the political approach to the insurgency and create a roadmap toward ending the violence.

The government is expected to rest its peace plans to the jirga on two planks: seeking reconciliation with top Taliban figures while re-integrating foot soldiers in the insurgency back into society. A version of this plan was unveiled at a conference in London in January.

The moves to explore a negotiated settlement of the conflict have been hastened following U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement that Washington will begin withdrawing troops from July 2011.

"The participants will consult and debate among themselves for three days or even more and eventually come up with a plan to present to the president on peace negotiations," said Farooq Wardak, the main organizer of the jirga who is also Afghanistan's education minister.

WHO WILL ATTEND THE JIRGA ?

About 1,300 delegates and 200 guests -- including foreign diplomats -- will attend the jirga, to be held in a giant marquee.

Delegates are divided into 13 categories which are the following: members of the national assembly, members of the provincial councils, provincial and districts governors, members of National Ulema Council (religious scholars), former members of the Senate, eminent women, elders and influential tribal leaders, representatives of nomads, representatives of civil society, disabled, Afghan refugees (Pakistan) Afghan refugees (Iran) and Industrialists/businesspeople.

WILL INSURGENTS BE INVOLVED?

The main three insurgent groups fighting Afghan and foreign troops in the country -- the Taliban, Hezb-i-Islami and the Haqqani network -- have not been invited.

The Taliban have in any case repeatedly ruled out offers of dialogue with the U.S.-backed Karzai administration, saying foreign forces must first leave the country.

The Haqqani network which operates in the southeast of the country has said it will follow the orders of the Taliban leadership. In recent years the group is suspected to be behind some spectacular attacks, including the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul.

The Hizb-i-Islami, led by veteran fighter Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will not be there, but Karzai's government has held direct talks with them. Earlier this month senior members of the group met with Afghanistan's opposition figures in Maldives.

There are likely to be Taliban sympathizers among the hundreds of tribal and district chiefs, who travel to the capital from remote parts of the country -- particularly from the insurgent strongholds of southern and eastern Afghanistan.

DOES THE JIRGA HAVE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT?

Soon after his visit to Washington earlier this year, Karzai said the Obama administration had backed the plan to reach out to those militant groups who denounce violence and accept the Afghan constitution.

While the West has backed Karzai's plans to split the Taliban insurgency by offering jobs and cash incentives to foot soldiers, it has been wary of overtures to the Taliban leadership. It sees no place for its leadership or those with links to al Qaeda in Afghanistan's future.

Thousands of U.S. troops are gearing up in the southern Kandahar province, the heartland of the Taliban movement, to launch the biggest operation of the ninth-year-old war.

While the insurgency is at its strongest as it ever been, Washington expects Karzai not to make major overtures to Taliban until momentum has shifted on the battlefield.

(Reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)