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U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Oct. 9 that the United States would approve reconciliation with the Taliban if it meant an end to the war in Afghanistan. Gates emphasized, though, that Washington would not negotiate with al Qaeda, which has worked closely with the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gates went on to say that “there has to be ultimately, and I’ll underscore ultimately, reconciliation as part of a political outcome to this.” This statement is the first indication from a high-level official in the Bush administration that a policy of negotiation with the Taliban is possible.

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