Clinton proposes Afghanistan meeting

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is proposing a high-level international conference on Afghanistan, possibly sponsored by the United Nations.

Clinton made the proposal at a Nato foreign ministers meeting today. She said that the US is discussing with the United Nations the possibility that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would open the conference and that the talks would be lead by the UN special representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide of Norway.

She proposes inviting representatives from Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nato allies, and nations that have troops in Afghanistan.

She said the US hopes that such a conference could establish an international consensus on a way forward in Afghanistan, where the war effort has deteriorated over the past two years.