Washington not resigned to seeing the Taliban become part of Afghanistan's government

Hillary-ClintonWashington is not resigned to seeing the Taliban become part of Afghanistan's government, U. S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday.

It has been reported that a Pentagon report last week outlined the difficulty of establishing long-term security, especially in southern Afghanistan, and raised the prospect that containing the insurgency, not eradicating it, may become a reality. In addition, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has talked about forging a reconciliation with insurgents.

The military assessment was more of a "look back" rather than a forecast and while there can be some reintegration of Taliban fighters into mainstream Afghanistan, a larger reconciliation with the insurgency remains unresolved, Clinton in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," said.

Clinton said, "What President Karzai is saying, and we agree with this direction, is that you've got to look to see who is reconcilable. Not everybody will be. But we do think that there are leaders within the Taliban -- in fact, there are some already who have come over to the other side. Now, if they do so they have to renounce al-Qaida, they have to renounce violence, they have to give up their arms and they have to be willing to abide by the Afghan Constitution."

She doesn't know why President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is showing up for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review conference at the United Nations, Clinton said on Iran.

Clinton also said, "If Iran is coming to say we're willing to abide by the non-proliferation treaty that would be very welcome news. I have a feeling that's not what they're coming to do. I think they're coming to try to divert attention and confuse the issue. And there is no confusion. They have violated the terms of the NPT."

It was further added by Clinton that she intends to stay on as secretary of state for the remainder of President Barack Obama's first term in office, though she finds it "an exhausting job."

She said "I have a great time doing it. I feel like we're making a difference around the world."

It was also notified by her that she has no interest in being named to the U. S. Supreme Court.

"I do not and have never wanted to be a judge, ever. That has never been anything that I even let cross my mind because it's just not my personality," she said. (With Inputs from Agencies)