WASHINGTON – The United States has offered a new olive branch to AfghanTaliban in return for joining mainstream politics and quit violence.

US has offered the Afghan Taliban a comprehensive “safety network”.

United States Defence Department has also outlined a rehabilitation planfor Afghan rebels in what is termed as “new Afghanistan”.

“Although some members of the Taliban may be weary of fighting and ready tolay down their weapons, they will only re-join society if they believetheir safety and the safety of their families are guaranteed, and if theyhave an opportunity to earn enough money to provide for their families,”said a Pentagon report which was sent to Congress, along with proposals foraddressing US security concerns, this week.

However, the Pentagon noted that “the Afghan government has not developed anational reintegration programme” despite the programmes that have beendeveloped by the local leaders to offer peace a path.

While the US president is keen on withdrawing US forces from war-tornAfghanistan as part of his electoral promise, the defence departmentsuggests otherwise and stresses upon the need of maintaining enough troopsin Afghanistan in order to force Taliban into joining the peace process.

Over the past year, the US and its allies have been using force to drivethe Taliban towards a political settlement which, at one point, was notdeemed necessary by the American security establishment.

The report further maintained that the selective use of force tempted theTaliban to “accept the Eidul Fitr ceasefire” in June and that there areindicators of the acceptance of a second ceasefire offer although they(Taliban) did not publically accept it.