US will negotiate with Taliban only if it renounces Al-Qaeda: Hillary Clinton

Washington, Dec. 7 (ANI): US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the US will negotiate with Taliban leaders in Afghanistan only if they "renounce Al Qaeda and violence."

On Sunday, several members of the Obama administration suggested that talks are possible with Taliban leaders in order to bring about a settlement of the war in Afghanistan.

"They have to renounce Al-Qaeda, renounce violence. They have to be willing to abide by the constitution of Afghanistan and live peacefully," The News quoted Clinton, as saying.

She said she was "highly skeptical" that any of the current Taliban leaders would be interested in following the path of negotiations or accept such conditions.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that President Obama is sending extra troops to Afghanistan in order to bring the Taliban to the negotiation table.

"I think that the likelihood of the leadership of the Taliban, or senior leaders, being willing to accept the conditions Secretary Clinton just talked about depends in the first instance on reversing their momentum right now, and putting them in a position where they suddenly begin to realize that they're likely to lose," Gates said. (ANI)