ISLAMABAD -- A call by a senior U.S. official urging Afghanistan's Taliban fighters to lay down their arms in exchange for a promise that only those guilty of major crimes would be punished marks a departure from Washington's traditional hardline stance toward the group.
"The continuation of armed resistance against the elected government is not only against the will of the Afghan people, but is also against Islam, which commands obedience to the legitimate authority," said U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in his pitch.
It's not surprising that the immediate reaction from a Taliban spokesman was to reject Khalilzad's message.
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