LONDON — An international conference on Afghanistan will likely endorse a program to lure Taliban fighters to lay down their weapons, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today.
Britain will host talks Thursday in London regarding strategy in Afghanistan, including the Afghan government’s plan to pay Taliban fighters return to mainstream society.
He told reporters it is “right to believe that over the long-term we can split the Taliban” and encourage many of those waging war against international troops to stop.
If the Afghan government “can bring over some people previously associated with the Taliban by the renunciation of violence, this would be of value to the peace process,” Brown said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and foreign ministers will attend the talks. They will discuss rapidly increasing the size of the Afghan police force and army and creating a tentative timetable for international troops to hand over security to local forces.
British diplomats have confirmed the meeting will consider having the international community help fund a program meant to reintegrate Taliban fighters.
Brown said only those committed to peace would get money. “They have to renounce violence and be part of the democratic process,” he said.
Speaking in London, U.S. deputy defense secretary William Lynn said the strategy would complement military advances since an influx of 37,000 foreign troops.
“A critical component here is to reverse the momentum of the Taliban on the ground in Afghanistan,” Lynn told a meeting at the House of Commons.
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, told the Financial Times newspaper in an interview that a reconciliation plan is necessary.
“I believe a political solution to all conflicts is the inevitable outcome. And it’s the right outcome,” McChrystal was quoted as saying.
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