Political end to war is still out of sight

The government of Afghanistan needs to take more responsibility within its own country. The future of Afghanistan lies with the Afghan people, which is why it is appropriate for this week's 70-nation conference in Kabul to agree that after July 2011 foreign forces should start to take a back seat to the Afghan army, with a complete handover being achieved by 2014. Such deadlines give both Nato and Afghan forces workable targets.

President Hamid Karzai is also right to ask that the proportion of US aid that is spent through the Afghan government goes up from 20 per cent to 50 per cent, but valid concerns about corruption from the American side make it essential for the financial trail of US money through the Afghan government to be transparent. US accountants should have the challenging task of auditing the Afghan books, to ensure that this important aid programme meets its goals.

The weak point in the joint Nato-Afghan strategy is that it does not outline how a political end to the war can be achieved. This cannot be done without talking to those elements of the Taliban who might be willing to join the Afghan project and follow the country's constitution.

Karzai has been pushing for talks for some time, but his personal style of diplomacy, which includes reaching out to the Taliban using relatives and friends as intermediaries has infuriated many Afghans.

The Taliban do not trust the Karzai government, and they want to talk directly to the US, seeking international guarantees to any deal. In this they are supported by the non-Pashtun minorities, who also want guarantees.

Given the US' desire to pull out of Afghanistan, it is very uncertain that the Obama administration would be willing to offer any guarantees, and even more uncertain that it could enforce them if they were agreed. But without such commitment, any deal looks doomed.