Conference on Afghanistan's future doomed to failure, says Taliban

The Taliban has today denounced this week's international conference on Afghanistan's future, saying the "vague and terrible agenda" showed that the US and its allies intended to abandon the country and blame their ultimate defeat on the Afghan government.

Representatives of the US and 60 other countries met Tuesday to endorse President Hamid Karzai's plan for Afghan police and soldiers to take charge of security nationwide by 2014. Karzai also urged his international backers to distribute more of their development aid through his government.