The United States is following and offering advice in talks between the Afghan government and Taliban leaders, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday.
“We have always acknowledged that reconciliation has to be a part of the solution ultimately in Afghanistan, and we will do whatever we can to support that process,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, speaking to reporters together with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a NATO conference in Brussels, Belgium.
“It’s basically a partnership as we go forward with this, with clearly the Afghans in the lead,” he said.
While the United States does not directly participate in the talks, Gates says there is access into the process and opportunities to make U.S. concerns and suggestions known.
“And frankly, we share with them what we think will be in their own best interests as the process goes along,” Gates said.
The comments come a day after it was reported that NATO occasionally allows Taliban leaders to enter Kabul for dialogues with the government.
Speaking to CNN earlier this week, President Hamid Karzai described the meetings as “unofficial, personal contacts.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States supports what the “Afghans are doing,” but in terms of reconciliation she said there “are a lot of different strains to it that may or may not be legitimate or borne out as producing any bona fide reconciliation.”
According to Clinton, terms for any reconciliation are giving up weapons, renouncing al-Qaeda, and to abide by the laws and constitution of Afghanistan.
Whether the reconciliation talks will bear any fruit is something that can’t be judged yet, she said.
“We have always acknowledged that reconciliation has to be a part of the solution ultimately in Afghanistan, and we will do whatever we can to support that process,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, speaking to reporters together with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a NATO conference in Brussels, Belgium.
“It’s basically a partnership as we go forward with this, with clearly the Afghans in the lead,” he said.
While the United States does not directly participate in the talks, Gates says there is access into the process and opportunities to make U.S. concerns and suggestions known.
“And frankly, we share with them what we think will be in their own best interests as the process goes along,” Gates said.
The comments come a day after it was reported that NATO occasionally allows Taliban leaders to enter Kabul for dialogues with the government.
Speaking to CNN earlier this week, President Hamid Karzai described the meetings as “unofficial, personal contacts.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States supports what the “Afghans are doing,” but in terms of reconciliation she said there “are a lot of different strains to it that may or may not be legitimate or borne out as producing any bona fide reconciliation.”
According to Clinton, terms for any reconciliation are giving up weapons, renouncing al-Qaeda, and to abide by the laws and constitution of Afghanistan.
Whether the reconciliation talks will bear any fruit is something that can’t be judged yet, she said.
