US to support Taliban's return to power post severance of ties with Qaeda

Washington, Oct 7 : After the admission by senior US commanders, including US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, that the war on terror in Afghanistan could not be won by military effort alone, the US State Department has reportedly said that it favoured a reconciliation effort that could bring the Taliban back to power in Kabul "but only if it severe ties with Al Qaeda".

"We're very supportive of an Afghan reconciliation programme," US State Department's deputy spokesman Robert Wood said at a press briefing in Washington.

He made it clear that the US had only two preconditions -- renunciation of violence and adherence to the Afghan Constitution, before going ahead for a reconciliation programme for the Taliban.

"And, in fact, the Afghan government has outlined criteria for that programme, which we fully support, one of which is renouncing violence, the second, adherence to the constitution," he said.

US military commanders have in the recent past acknowledged that there's no military solution to the Afghan conflict, and voiced concern that they were "not winning" the war on terror.

In a recent testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen restated his concern that the military effort alone could not bring peace to Afghanistan. "Afghanistan doesn't just need more boots on the ground. ... I'm not convinced we're winning it in Afghanistan," he had said.

According to a CNN report, the Taliban had already agreed to dump Al Qaeda, a militant group which the US blames for sponsoring the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

ANI