US recognizes Taliban as Afghan political force

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=116773&sectionid=351020403

The US Secretary of Defense has recognized the Taliban as part of what he describes as the political fabric of Afghanistan.

Robert Gates said the Taliban should lay down their weapons to play a legitimate role in Afghan politics.

"The Taliban...are part of the political fabric of Afghanistan at this point," Wall Street Journal. quoted him as saying on Friday.

"The question is whether they are prepared to play a legitimate role in the political fabric of Afghanistan going forward, meaning participating in elections, meaning not assassinating local officials and killing families," he said at a roundtable with Pakistani and American journalists in Islamabad.

He made the remarks during his two-day visit to Pakistan.

Gates also expressed regret over Washington's strategic mistakes, such as abandoning Afghanistan and cutting off military ties with Pakistan back in the 1990s.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has mentioned in a recent interview with the BBC that he plans to introduce a foreign-funded scheme to win over what he called Taliban moderates.

"Those that we approach to return will be provided with the abilities to work, to find jobs, to have protection, to resettle in their own communities."

The Afghan president says the United States and Britain will show their support for his plan at a conference next week in London.

The US invaded Afghanistan following September 11, 2001 attacks to allegedly kill or capture bin Laden and destroy the militancy in the country.

A Press TV correspondent from Kabul says that this concession shows the Afghan government and its Western backers have conceded defeat against the militants.

Western media reports recount that American and British spies have organized secret meetings with senior Taliban commanders in Afghanistan over past years.

It has also been alleged that high-level American and British military officials have been involved in Taliban-led narcotics networks in the war-weary country.

Such contacts are said to be used in pursuing senior Taliban commanders to join the Afghan government and become a part of the political rank and file of the country.

The developments could mean US President Obama administration's is willing to accept the militants playing a potentially central role in Afghanistan's future.