Comments on: Talking About Negotiations First Is Exactly Backwards

By: Bart

Bart — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:37:49 +0000

“”Militants are fighting in Afghanistan for many reasons, but not one of them is planting bombs and shooting at NATO because he doesn’t have sufficient opportunities to vote.”"

And you would know this because you have talken to many Taliban fighters?

By: Toryalay Shirzay

Toryalay Shirzay — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:36:54 +0000

Looking at readers’comments above,it is obvious the US and NATO countries have not done a proper job of informing their citizens about the nature of this war,thus their domestic political difficulties.This war in Afghanistan has been badly planned and executed from its inception and now we see the fruit of their half-assed job.Even though it is more difficult to win this war now,it is not too late.A fundemental problem is improper understanding of who the Taleban are.Who are the Taleban? What do they represent and what is their mindset??
The Taleban are the vanguard of PANISLAMISM put together by Arabs and their Pakistani managers to consolidate Islamic power in Afghanistan and all of central ASIA which then be deployed as bulwark against India and Israel backed by nuclear weapons from Pakistan.This is the big picture.The same Taleban -like forces were the agents which invaded India and brought Islam there by the sword which subsequently cut India apart.All armchair experts may need a shake-down to wake up to above facts!The Taleban are not as strong now as they were before the 9/11 attack and they are now in the nip it in the bud phase.It is still going to be a bloody fight because for the Taleban to kill or be killed is a win-win situation because Allah will reward them anywayThis Islamic ideology makes them even fiercer.The reason the Taleban are gaining some ground now is because the US and NATO have empowered the wrong Afghans when they went there and have allowed Iran to help these corrupt Afghans write the Afghan constitution.For the West to win this war,all or most of these corrupt Afghans who happen to be nasty abusers must be disempowered .There are many Afghans who are genuine victims of all these wars and the ugly evil Islamic system who yearn for a little freedom and prosperity,lets empower these ;this will go along way in defeating the Taleban and Islamic fascism .and only then the West can claim success.Lets go now and stop shooting yourselves in the foot.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:21:33 +0000

I think a bit of background colour on British domestic issues is required. The New Labour administration that Miliband represents is losing credibility daily. Hammered in recent local authority and European elections, losing previously safe parliamentary seats in by-elections, copping flak on the expenses brouhaha, a teetering economy … it’s been a wretched summer for Gordon Brown and co. On top of this, Gen. Richard Dannatt, chief of the General Staff, has been unprecedentedly outspoken for a serving senior commander in demanding that the government supply his troops with additional helicopters and anti-IED devices. Most major media outlets – at least for the moment – seem to be dispensing the ‘let’s negotiate with the Taliban’ discourse. And then you have the likes of Semple and Rory Stewart (who are widely-regarded, rightly or wrongly, as the go-to guys for the inside skinny on Afghanistan-relateed matters) adding their voices to the mix.

The argument is that the Coalition/Nato is not in a position of strength from which to negotiate … well, it’s not simply about military issues, it’s about politics too. The British government, for one, desperately needs some ‘good news’ from Afghanistan to shore up it’s ever weakening credibility and rapidly declining popularity. In any case, the assumption is that New Labour will be ejected from office in the next general Election.

By: Steve Connors

Steve Connors — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:29:38 +0000

“When Karzai saw Semple arranging unilateral negotiations with various Taliban leaders, he declared Semple persona non grata… as any head of state would do with a supercilious Eurocrat meddling in his country’s affairs without his permission.”

Is this the same supercilious Eurocrat who was living among the Afghans before you arrived in high school? The same one who speaks fluent Dari and Pashto? The same one who was in the country throughout the period that Hamid Karzai was living comfortably in exile?

I think there’s a story there Joshua but you don’t seem to have grasped it.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:58:03 +0000

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 07/28/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

By: Dafydd

Dafydd — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:00:30 +0000

Myra,

the Taliban ARE building strength while checking out the various negotiation options. When a good offer comes along (ceasfire in Bagdis) they take it.

Doesn’t stop them shooting and bombing.

Problem is we can’t seem to realise that our strength in two to three years time will be zilch. We will be desperate for any deal to get outta there.

By: myra macdonald

myra macdonald — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:59:39 +0000

Josh,

Why can’t they do both simultaneously — build strength and see what’s on offer at the negotiating table at the same time? (they being both the Taliban and the United States/Karzai government).

Both parties are smart enough to know that there will be talks at some point in the future, so what they would be discussing now is not the actual situation on the ground but projected strength in two, three years time.

Also, and this is quite unrelated to the above point, do you see any room for short-term CBMs – eg something on the treatment of prisoners in exchange for a promise not to attack girls’ schools?

Myra

By: Afghan Atheist

Afghan Atheist — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:52:57 +0000

Charlie Wilson: What is U.S. strategy?
Gust: Most strictly speaking, we don’t have one. But we’re working on it.
Charlie Wilson: Who’s ‘we’?
Gust: Me and three other guys.