KABUL - The Taliban's leaders will decide soon about joining talks with the Afghan government, a spokesman said Friday, after President Hamid Karzai invited them to a peace council as part of efforts to end years of fighting.

I cannot say a word regarding these peace talks. The Taliban leadership will soon decide whether to take part in these peace talks, Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said.

(Reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Writing by Golnar Motevalli; Editing by David Fox)