Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on Taliban fighters on Saturday to lay down their arms and rejoin the mainstream Afghan society. He gave this call as 15,000 US-led troops descended on the Marjah district of southern Helmand province controlled for years by Taliban militants. He called upon all Afghan Taliban to use this as an opportunity to renounce violence and re-integrate into civilian life alongside other Afghans for the welfare of their country. In the statement, Karzai has referred to Taliban fighters as his disenchanted brothers, believing that most are poor and unemployed men who fight for cash rather than for Islamist ideology. Mr. Karzai wanted the Taliban infantry to leave the insurgency and take up jobs he has promised to provide as part of plans to bring development, aid and reform to the war-torn country.