{"id":86274,"date":"2018-03-23T01:42:32","date_gmt":"2018-03-23T01:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/23\/us-will-have-role-in-afghan-reconciliation-with-taliban\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:15:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:15:35","slug":"us-will-have-role-in-afghan-reconciliation-with-taliban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/03\/23\/us-will-have-role-in-afghan-reconciliation-with-taliban\/","title":{"rendered":"US will have role in Afghan reconciliation with Taliban"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan \u2014 The U.S. has a role to play in setting the conditions for members of the Taliban to lay down their weapons<\/a> and move back into Afghanistan\u2019s society, the top U.S. commander for the war said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noting that integration talks are already going on behind the scenes, Gen. John Nicholson said U.S. and Afghan officials are working out a plan that will lay out how the U.S. will support the peace effort<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the steps could include providing funding and setting up a system to remove certain groups from the U.S. list of terror suspects, which will help convince them they can return to their communities without being targets of American counterterrorism strikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have work to do,\u201d Nicholson said as he sat in a small building on the edge of the Kandahar Airfield runway. \u201cSome things need to be put in place to enable this. They need to know they can move back securely, live in safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t