Taliban rejects Karzai's reconciliation offer

The Afghan Taliban has rejected an offer of reconciliation with President Hamid Karzai's government.

In a statement posted on the Taliban's website on Sunday, the group described Western support for Karzai's reconciliation efforts as an attempt to deceive anti-war voters in the West.

The Taliban said it was open to talks to achieve its goal of an independent Islamic state.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai adjusts his hat prior to his speech during the annual Munich Security conference in Munich, southern Germany, on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)