Germany's Merkel says negotiations needed with Taliban

The German leader said it was a "good signal" that Kabul international airport was recently reopened for flights. The German chancellor said negotiations were necessary in order to evacuate Afghans who worked with the German government. Meanwhile, the top Afghan resistance leader said he is "ready to stop fighting" the Taliban. "Regarding the Taliban, the fact is that of course we have to talk to them because they are now the ones who have to be addressed," Merkel said while on a visit to the western German city of Hagen, which was hit with massive flooding earlier this year. She said the talks were necessary to help evacuate Afghans who were left behind."We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organizations in particular and who now feel threatened," Merkel added. She said dialogue would allow the flow of humanitarian aid into Afghanistan to continue.