The Afghan government today invited Taliban insurgents to a peace council of elders as part of efforts to find a way out of a conflict which is trying the patience and resources of Afghanistan's Western allies.
In an indication of the quickening pace of diplomacy, a UN official said members of the Taliban's leadership council had secretly met the United Nations representative for Afghanistan to discuss the possibility of laying down their arms.
As leaders and ministers from 60 nations convened in London to discuss Afghanistan, the official said members of the Taliban's Quetta Shura had met UN Special Representative Kai Eide on January 8th in Dubai.
"They requested a meeting to talk about talks. They want protection, to be able to come out in public. They don't want to vanish into places like Bagram," the official said, referring to a detention centre at a US military base in Afghanistan.
The official said it was the first time such talks had taken place with members of the Taliban's top council, which US officials say is based in the Pakistani city of Quetta.
At the London conference, nations agreed that Afghan forces should aim to take the lead role in providing security in a number of provinces by late 2010 or early 2011, opening the road for a reduction in foreign troops.
"We must reach out to all of our countrymen, especially our disenchanted brothers, who are not part of al-Qaeda, or other terrorist networks, who accept the Afghan constitution," Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the conference.
The United States and its allies would not be involved in the council, known as a loya jirga, and have said they want to leave it up to the Afghans to seek reconciliation.
At the same time, US president Barack Obama is sending in 30,000 more troops to weaken the insurgency and convince the Taliban to accept a peace deal, which crucially would require them to sever ties with al-Qaeda militants.
More than 110,000 foreign troops are in Afghanistan, including some 70,000 Americans.
"You have to be willing to engage with your enemies if you expect to create a situation that ends an insurgency or so marginalises the remaining insurgents that it doesn't pose a threat to the stability and security of the people," US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said.
British foreign secretary David Miliband said $140 million had been pledged towards an international fund to help reintegrate Taliban foot soldiers into society. Japan said it would provide $50 million towards that sum.
Reuters