Afghans 'back Obama on Taliban talks'
A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai has said that Afghanistan welcomes US President Barack Obama's comments regarding dialogue with the Taliban.
Waheed Omar said that his country had always made it clear that "the war on terror must go on but there needs to be political talks by Afghans... led by Afghans".
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mr Obama earlier said that while the conflict could not be solved militarily, raising troop levels had put the Taliban "back on its heels" in a way that could facilitate the brokering of a political reconciliation.
"Ultimately it means talking to the Taliban," he said, adding that the "Taliban would have to cut all ties to al-Qaeda, renounce violence and they would have to respect the Afghan constitution".
Obama on future of Afghanistan
Obama 'will act to stop attacks'
Obama calls for 1967 border debate