KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The vast majority of the supporters of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan could be reconciled given the appropriate incentives, British officials say.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told NATO leaders in July that Taliban members fighting for pragmatic rather than ideological reasons could be swayed to support the Afghan government if their concerns were addressed appropriately.
That sentiment is part of the revitalized war strategy for Afghanistan, which draws on the lessons learned from the grassroots tactics employed during the counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq.
Mark Sedwill, the British envoy to Afghanistan, reiterated that sentiment, saying many of the Taliban supporters could abandon the insurgency once recovery takes hold, London's Guardian newspaper reports.
He said the so-called moderates could integrate into the Afghan society if, for example, they were offered a legitimate line of work.
"Maybe two-thirds of those fighting with the Taliban are in that category (and) possibly could be brought back into legitimacy," he said.
He went on to point out that many of the candidates in the Aug. 20 provincial council and presidential elections are campaigning on a platform of reconciliation.
