Reconciliation with Taliban only on Afghan Government guidelines: US

Washington, Mar.12 (ANI): United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asserted that any settlement with insurgents in Afghanistan must be under terms set by the Kabul Government.

"I think almost all insurgencies in the end game involve political reconciliation. The issue is it needs to be on the terms of the government of Afghanistan," The News quoted Gates, as saying.

However, he made it clear that the allied forces would continue its offensive against the faction of the outfit which has no interest in reconciliation.

"There are elements of the Taliban that are absolutely irreconcilable and frankly will have to be killed," Gates added.

Earlier, the Obama administration had said that it was ready to host dialogues with the Afghan insurgents on the lines of its Iraq policy after admitting that the eight year long 'War on terror' in the region has not yielded desired results. (ANI)