President Barack Obama speaks to Afghan President Karzai to discuss efforts to reconcile with elements of the Taliban; US Defence Secretary Panetta apologises to the Afghan people over Koran burning
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  • According to reports, President Barack Obama has spoken to Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss efforts to reconcile with elements of the Taliban, including his meeting last week with Pakistani and Iranian leaders. The White House statement, Obama and Karzai on February 20, discussed regional support for reconciliation in Afghanistan. The conversation came in the wake of a three-day summit in Islamabad with Karzai, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.1

    In another development, according to reports, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has apologised to the Afghan people for an incident in which copies of the Koran were reportedly burned. Panetta said the US military respected the religious practices of the Afghan people "without exception". The NATO commander in Afghanistan, US Gen John R Allen, has already announced an inquiry into the incident.2

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