Top members of US President Barack Obama's cabinet on Sunday refused to rule out talks with Taliban leaders in order to bring about a settlement of the war in Afghanistan, but made them conditional on changes in the radical movement's strategy. They have to renounce Al-Qaeda, renounce violence, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an American TV. They have to be willing to abide by the constitution of Afghanistan and live peacefully. 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. But when asked directly if high-level negotiations with the Taliban were possible, Clinton replied: We don't know yet. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the United States would not pursue Taliban leaders in Pakistan and that it was up to Islamabad to address the threat posed by militants on its territory. His comments followed a report the White House had granted authority to the Central Intelligence Agency to expand a bombing campaign in Pakistan by unmanned aircraft to strike Taliban and Al-Qaeda figures. Pakistan is a sovereign government. We are in a partnership with them. I think at this point it's up to the Pakistani military to deal with this problem, Gates said. He added that the United States had confidence that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal was secure despite the threat posed by insurgents.We're comfortable with the security of the country's atomic weapons, Gates said.
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