Defense Secretary Robert Gates says it is probably too early for the Afghan government to be able to persuade senior Taliban leaders to lay down their arms.
Gates told a House committee on Wednesday he believes negotiations between the two will be necessary at some point to bring peace to Afghanistan. But for talks to work, the Afghan government must be in a position of strength and the Taliban convinced they are going to lose, Gates said.
Gates said: "I don't think we're there yet."
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