US: Pakistan-style truce in Afghanistan acceptable

KRAKOW, Poland (AP) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says an agreement between the Afghan government and Taliban rebels along the lines of a truce concluded in neighboring Pakistan may be acceptable.

Gates says some sort of political reconciliation will have to be part of a long-term solution in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Pakistani authorities and pro-Taliban rebels in the Swat valley in northwestern Pakistan concluded a pact aimed at restoring peace. It allows the introduction of Islamic law in the area if militants lay down their arms.

The agreement sparked international concern. Richard Holbrooke, the new U.S envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said he was worried the peace deal was tantamount to a surrender by the authorities.
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