U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Afghan President Hamid Karzai's plan to reintegrate Taliban soldiers back into society will bring greater stability and security to Afghanistan.
Clinton addressed delegates from around 70 countries meeting Thursday in London for talks on stabilizing Afghanistan and developing a strategy to bring about an end to the Afghan war.
Clinton said with the right incentives, many low and mid-level Taliban soldiers can become a part of Afghan democracy if they renounce violence and accept all tenets of the Afghan constitution.
She said the United States is looking forward to the launch of an international trust fund to support the reintegration effort.
Earlier, Afghan President Karzai officially announced the reintegration plan, which aims to lure Taliban soldiers back into mainstream society with offers of jobs and housing.
Mr. Karzai told delegates that Afghanistan must reach out to the "disenchanted brothers" who are not part of al-Qaida or other terrorist networks.
The Afghan president also called for support from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to help guide the peace process.
Mr. Karzai said he would call a council of elders, or peace jirga, to discuss reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai plans to reintegrate Taliban soldiers back into society
