New Delhi, June 17: The United States and Pakistani intelligence officials are reported to have met Taliban leaders in an effort to devise a political solution to prevent Afghanistan "from being further ripped apart." According to Hong Kong-based "Asia Times", the meeting took place recently between representatives of Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence, US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Taliban leaders at the Pakistani Air Force base of Samungli, near Quetta.

Quoting sources in the Pakistani jehadi leadership, the newspaper said in its despatch from Karachi that the US had put forward four conditions before the Taliban leaders before any form of reconciliation could take place. The four conditions reportedly put forward by the US include removal of Mullah Omar as supreme leader of Taliban; throwing out of Pakistani and Arab and other foreign fighters from Afghanistan; handing over of all US and other allied soldiers held captive by Taliban and safe return of expatriate Afghan nationals presently settled in the US and England.

The newspaper said that Taliban have apparently refused the first condition point blank but showed some flexibility on other points. Bureau Report