Taliban Negotiations

[Ransom]

The Taliban admitted this week that current negotiations with the “arrogant” U.S. – often billed as “peace talks” that will purportedly end the fighting in Afghanistan – are merely being conducted to facilitate “the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.”

Negotiating with this Taliban Organization seems fruitless. They're not serious, their 'leadership' doesn't speak for all. I've heard from many supporters of allowing the Taliban to ruthlessly govern Afghanistan, that it isn't the business of the United States. I just don't agree, I believe the US should forever prevent the Taliban from governments abroad.

In addition, the terrorist group called the Afghan government “impotent,” “powerless,” “incapable,” “a tool of the invaders,” and a host of other insults in the statement. The Taliban was clear, as it has consistently been clear, that it would not deal with the Afghan government, which has been “sidelined [by the U.S.] in every major decision regarding Afghanistan.”

They won't deal with the Afghan Government nor the US, why in the world are we trying to negotiate with them?

Khalilzad, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has desperately been attempting to cut a deal with the Taliban and has excluded the Afghan government numerous times in an attempt to make it happen. While billed as a “peace” deal, an agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban would not bring peace to the country. The Taliban has refused to negotiate directly with the Afghan government, which it holds in contempt, but has agreed to consider vague “intra-Afghan talks.” As part of that accord, the U.S. was willing to accept the Taliban’s supposed counterterrorism assurances, despite the fact that the Taliban has harbored al Qaeda to this day and refuses to denounce the group by name. In fact, the Taliban has glorified al Qaeda’s attack on Sept. 11, 2001 in its propaganda as recently as July 2019..

Zalmay Khalilzad, give it up. And to those of you who would tolerate a Taliban government of Afghanistan....note the "harbor al-Qaeda to this day" in the link provided. Supposedly everyone's 'red line' where the Taliban are concerned, I hear a lot of "as long as they don't harbor and facilitate international terrorism" many will accept a Taliban governed Afghanistan and even pretend it's not a vital national security interest for the Unites States.

How soon we forget. Those who refuse to learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat those mistakes.

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archi...ign-forces.php

Full text of the Taliban Statement from within the link.

[Peter1469]

So how do you defeat the Taliban and prevent them from ever holding political power?

[Ransom]

I'm not sure 'the defeat' of the Taliban is possible nor even desirable. And they hold some political power now. Where I think the US must draw the line is any return to the Taliban governing Afghanistan.....and especially as they harbor and still facilitate al-Qaeda to this day.

We can assist the Afghan government in fighting al-Qaeda. Help train and arm this government although I wouldn't give them sophisticated weaponry like Ethereal would Syrian Kurds. But from Sept 11, 2001 a Taliban governed Afghanistan is completely untenable for the United States, that isn't acceptable.

[Ransom]

And @Peter1469 you agree with me here again. You and I have discussed this contingency. The Taliban one day ruling Afghanistan. Your personal red line was if the Taliban was harboring al-Qaeda terrorists. And you know that the Taliban does in fact harbor and facilitate al-Qaeda as we exchange these posts.....that crosses your red line you described to me....thus you also oppose.....at least up til today...a Taliban governed Afghanistan.

Isn't that correct?

[Peter1469]

And @Peter1469 you agree with me here again. You and I have discussed this contingency. The Taliban one day ruling Afghanistan. Your personal red line was if the Taliban was harboring al-Qaeda terrorists. And you know that the Taliban does in fact harbor and facilitate al-Qaeda as we exchange these posts.....that crosses your red line you described to me....thus you also oppose.....at least up til today...a Taliban governed Afghanistan.

Isn't that correct?

Some Taliban harbor al Quaeda. The Harniqian network (SP). Most of the Taliban does not.

My position is that if we decide our goal is to prevent the Taliban from having any political power in Afghanistan we are setting ourselves up for failure. Unless we commit to a total war- which isn't going to happen.

[Ransom]

Some Taliban harbor al Quaeda. The Harniqian network (SP). Most of the Taliban does not.

My position is that if we decide our goal is to prevent the Taliban from having any political power in Afghanistan we are setting ourselves up for failure. Unless we commit to a total war- which isn't going to happen.

Our goal isn't to prevent the Taliban from having any political power in Afghanistan, Peter, that can be the Afghan government's goal. They have some political power. The goal would be to prevent to include the use of military power an Afghan governed Taliban much like existed in 2001.

Now.....as your red line was the harboring of terrorists.....and a part of the Taliban harbors, facilitates, and supports al-Qaeda, is that a deal breaker for a Taliban governed Afghanistan if it were up to you? Is that not correct now, you ant to ague with your own statements?

[Peter1469]

Our goal isn't to prevent the Taliban from having any political power in Afghanistan, Peter, that can be the Afghan government's goal. They have some political power. The goal would be to prevent to include the use of military power an Afghan governed Taliban much like existed in 2001.

Now.....as your red line was the harboring of terrorists.....and a part of the Taliban harbors, facilitates, and supports al-Qaeda, is that a deal breaker for a Taliban governed Afghanistan if it were up to you? Is that not correct now, you ant to ague with your own statements?

I am simply saying we cannot control who rules Afghanistan with the efforts that we have taken over the last 19 years. The Taliban rules much of the nation currently.

[Ransom]

I am simply saying we cannot control who rules Afghanistan with the efforts that we have taken over the last 19 years. The Taliban rules much of the nation currently.

Some of the nation they 'control' as we both know the situation is fluid and provinces change hands. And they control none of the nerve centers of Afghanistan. Another straw man of yours as well, we cannot control who governs Afghanistan, we want to control who doesn't. No way the Taliban are acceptable and we agree there.

[Peter1469]

Some of the nation they 'control' as we both know the situation is fluid and provinces change hands. And they control none of the nerve centers of Afghanistan. Another straw man of yours as well, we cannot control who governs Afghanistan, we want to control who doesn't. No way the Taliban are acceptable and we agree there.

Prepare to be shocked.

[waltky]

We must prevent the spread of Islam...

... as a religion, as a government...

... and as an ideology.