Biden Talks Afghanistan in NATO Huddle

Vice President Joe Biden held forth at a NATO meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, reinforcing President Barack Obama’s message from last weekend about a slight shift in foreign policy with regard to Afghanistan and urging NATO to be vigilant about the threat of attacks from extremist groups harbored by Afghanistan and Pakistan.

AP via Yahoo News:

Biden told the allies the United States was open to talks with Taliban moderates as part of a new approach, echoing comments made by President Barack Obama over the weekend.

“It is worth engaging and determining whether or not there are those who are willing to participate in a secure and stable Afghan state,” Biden said.

Biden solicited ideas from European allies during a one-day round of talks at NATO and EU headquarters on amending a troubled military strategy in Afghanistan and bringing more allies on board to fight the Taliban-led insurgency.

Biden told NATO’s top decision-making body that the situation in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan was worsening, adding, “The deteriorating situation in the region poses a security threat from our respect not just to the United States, but to every single nation around this table.”

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AP photo / Virginia Mayo

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks as NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer looks on during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday.