Pakistan Wants In on Afghan Peace Talks With Taliban

As the US and Afghanistan mull reconciliation with the Taliban as a way to wind down the war, Pakistan wants a role in potential peace talks. The Pakistanis would bring to the table their influence over the Haqqanis, a particularly lethal Taliban branch that is fighting against allied soldiers in Afghanistan, the New York Times reports.

In exchange for curbing Haqqani violence, Pakistan hopes for a friendly Afghan government and checks on the growing influence of rival India in Afghanistan. The US is still considering whether including Pakistan in the Afghanistan endgame would serve its interests, but will discuss the possibility of Pakistani involvement when national security adviser Gen. James Jones visits Islamabad this week.
(More Pakistan stories.)