Influential former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger said on Tuesday that the United States must negotiate with Afghanistan neighbors before any progress can be made with the Taliban.

Kissinger in a panel discussion at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars told audience that “I have no [objection] in principle of negotiating with the Taliban, but for the purpose of ending the war, it’s the wrong sequence of events. The first negotiation in my view ought to be with surrounding countries.” He also urged the US to reach an agreement before it pulls out it troops from the country. Kissinger also suggested that troops should be pulled out at the end of the process, and not the beginning, so as to maintain influence in the region.

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The US Secretary of State is due to arrive in Pakistan on Thursday. Hillary Clinton is visiting Islamabad to smooth relations between the two countries that have been at odds after American officials accused the ISI of sponsoring terrorism in the region. According to officials, during her two days trip Clinton is expected to continue Marc Grossman’s efforts of brokering peace with the Haqqani network. Clinton is also expected to meet President Zardari, Prime Minste Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani. Bilateral cooperation and counterterrorism collaboration between the two countries will also be discussed.

Iranian President Ahmedinejad was also expected to visit Pakistan this month. However, the trip by the Iranian head of state has been postponed. Officials insist the delay in the Iranian president’s trip did not have anything to do with Clintons visit.

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The trilateral summit of what is described as a “Core Group” of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US, which was held on Tuesday in Islamabad, failed to produce any useful results on the reconciliation process in Afghanistan. High-ranking officials from the three nations made little headway in speeding up the peace-making process with the Taliban because of growing tensions between Washington and Islamabad. US special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Javed Ludin and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir attended the talks to find a peaceful way to end the Afghan conflict.

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Eight suicide attackers stormed Hotel Inter-Continental in Kabul in a carefully planned, daring operation that started Tuesday night and went on until Wednesday morning, ending with the deaths of all the attackers and 10 others, according to officials. Two policemen were also amongst the dead, the Afghan Interior Ministry said. “As a result of Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army and Coalition force’s fast reaction and by air support of the NATO forces, eight suicide bombers were killed,” said a statement from the ministry. The Taliban have accepted responsibility for the attack.

Such attacks are expected to increase as the Afghan reconciliation process speeds up and foreign troops start to withdraw.

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