Afghans to talk peace at conclave

Some at 'jirga' fear President Karzai too eager for Taliban deal

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan insurgent groups on Tuesday dismissed this week's national conference on how to lure fighters off the battlefield, saying the three-day meeting would merely draw government loyalists to rubber-stamp a program that cannot succeed.

About 1,600 Afghans will convene on Wednesday in a giant tent at Kabul Polytechnic University to discuss how to reconcile with the fighters - even as the United States rushes in more troops to ramp up the war. Afghan President Hamid Karzai will use the conference to roll out his program to offer economic incentives to Taliban and other insurgent fighters willing to abandon the nearly nine-year war.