ISLAMABAD The London Conference on Afghanistan held on Thursday fizzled out, as anticipated, without bringing about any significant outcomes. Though the event was a repetition of the already discussed issues, but it reflected a change in US Afghan policy that now focuses on luring the Afghan Taliban. With the absence of key players like Iran, the event, as diplomatic circles in Islamabad see it, was nothing but a replay of US ambitious future plans that were endorsed by International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), NATO and allied Western states. Iran declined to participate in the conference saying that the event aimed at focusing on more military action rather than exploring the real roots of the problem. While Indian exclusion from the Conference is seen as a well thought-out bid to deviate criticism regarding Indo-US nexus, in the wake of mounting concerns of neighbouring states slamming the Indo-US military alliance and Pakistans flat refusal to have Indias participation. Some of the key points of the London Conference include support for Karzais regime, dialogue with Taliban, fighting corruption, and economic development. The Conference also laid the provisions of the training of 300,000 personnel of the Afghan National Army and Police by 2011. US had already allocated $ 500m to coax Taliban support, while Britain announced $1.6bn for the purpose. Some diplomatic circles on Thursday reacted strongly towards the declaration and said that it lacked anything substantial, apart from harping on the same tune of 'dialogue with Taliban. Karzai spent 8 good years cursing Taliban and all of sudden he has started calling them 'sons of the soil What a contrast a diplomat remarked. Another diplomat termed the Conferences declaration as 'a desperate act to seek international communitys support. TheNation also contacted UN officials from United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) who said the core administrative issues relating to maladministration and unabated corruption were sidelined and trivialities were focussed upon instead. Although the declaration, said a UN diplomat, did discuss fighting corruption, yet it provided very vague and ambiguous details in this regard. He informed that UNAMA was intimated on Thursday night that an independent accountability board would be formed, that would be administered by an Afghan government official to address corruption related issues and a High Office for the elimination of drugs would be set up. The UN official pointed out that the entire affair, including funds, was to be managed by the Afghan government and UN was to exercise nothing more than an advisory role in this regard. Unfortunately, the present governmental set-up in Afghanistan has earned the reputation of being a corruption-ridden body and all the responsibilities related to funds exchequer and monitoring have been entrusted to them again, thats simply too much, he said. A European Envoy said that the West has realised that it cannot trust India in Afghanistan and Indias absence from Londons Conference reflected the same but agreed that Pakistans dtrong views on this also had something to do with this exclusion and it might be part of US strategy to exclude India from the event to avoid negative fallout. Irans stance towards the London Conference reflects the concerns of regional stakeholders who are deeply concerned about the ambitious policy of the US to encourage India and marginalise Pakistan and use 'moderate Taliban against 'hostile regional players in Asia. Relating to these concerns, Pakistans military command had categorically conveyed to NATO that Pakistan seeks an active role in the solution of the Afghan crisis, and no significant progress can be made in this regard without the participation of Pakistan.