Taliban ready to negotiate:Kabul Minister

Afghanistan's finance minister has raised the prospect of involving the Taliban across all strata of government, at both district and national level, as part of a plan for their reintegration and brokering peace. "Negotiations could begin as early as tomorrow if we have international backing," he said. Before tomorrow's opening of an international conference on Afghanistan in London that will address plans for an exit strategy for western forces, Omar Zakhilwal told the Financial Times he believed that the Taliban was ready to negotiate."Even at this moment they do sense that it will be impossible for them to return to power." A Taliban spokesperson, Zabiullah Mojahed, rejected claims that talks were under way. "There is no negotiation going on about reintegration plans or forming a political settlement," he said. "I don't think there will be any chance of negotiations until the foreign infidel troops leave our country."But the finance minister's comments did reflect a marked change of tack by commanders of western forces. General Stanley McChrystal, the Nato commander in Afghanistan, outlined this week how he envisaged the US-led military surge this year would lay the foundations for a negotiated peace with the Taliban and said he would urge his allies to renew their commitment to this strategy.

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