Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that support from the United States, Pakistan and other Afghan allies is crucial for the success of reconciliation talks with the Taliban. In an interview telecast over a TV channel (CNN) yesterday he said initial contacts are being made, but these would not yield results until the United States and other allies back it. Last week, outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has also said that a number of countries including the United States have made preliminary contact with Taliban. President Karzai said the Afghan people want peace and want their children to be sent to school. He said, Mothers hoped to be without worry when they themselves or their husbands or go out to work. Karzai said, the Afghan people need to live like people in other nations. Welcoming U.S. President Barack Obama's plans for a drawdown of American troops Mr Karzai described it as a sign of Afghanistan’s readiness to take control of its security.