Over the past 10 years of NATO’s occupation of Afghanistan, rumors of Taliban peace talks have come and gone. Sometimes dying with a denial by Taliban leader Mullah Omar, something just vanishing on their own. This time, however, is different.
That’s because for the first time since the US-led invasion began, Mullah Omar has released a statement today confirming that such talks have begun, added to his long-standing demand that the occupation forces withdraw and that the US release Taliban captives from Guantanamo Bay.
The Guantanamo releases have been rumored at any rate, though the US State Department was quick to insist that no decision has been made to actually do so. Obviously the withdrawal from Afghanistan is not being considered at all.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has also endorsed the talks, saying it was necessary for negotiations to take place to end the war. That endorsement is said to have been a lukewarm one, however, as he has been placed in a very secondary role in such talks. Taliban leadership has often rejected negotiating with Karzai on the grounds that his government only exists at the pleasure of the occupation forces and as such he has no real negotiating power. The Afghan president may be coming to realize, as the talks begin, that the Taliban was right about him all along.
what happened to "your with us or your with the terrorists"?? so now we are making friends with the people who gave sanctuary, weapons and cash to al – qaeda; the organization that allegedly committed the deadliest act of terror ever? Whats next? SHould we let KSM, the alleged mastermind of 9/11 go? After all, we are helping the branch of al-qaeda he used to head up, Jundallah, commit acts of terror in iran and murder iranians…..
so it seems we, the good ol USA, are with the terrorists…
Yes, lets make friends with them, after 10 years of war, hundreds of thousands of afghans killed, not to mention our own soldiers who fought and DIED FOR NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lets just let bygones be bygones and trillions of dollars spent forgiven…..
everything shall be the way it was!
Sure the Nazi's rained V2's on London but the war is over. All is forgotten and we need them to make missiles to rain nuclear horror on the Ruskies.
Our soldiers died for nothing in Iraq and have died for nothing in Afghanistan. Trying to build a phony country in Jeffersonian glory? Even the Pentagon have said there is no military solution. Bush screwed the country 10 ways from Saturday and has rivers of blood on his hands though he shares it with those who supported and continue to support the empire and his wars. May God have mercy on their souls.
On the contrary: may God damn them and sendall of these perverted psychopaths to the last circle of Hell.
The Mullah wants US forces out ( he might settle for a timetable) and the release of his government ministers held in Gitmo (it looks like he's going to get this). So assuming the US wants to 'get out' with banners flying and nobody shooting (a la Sovietski) these negotiations may produce fruit.
Or they may not and the US can announce 'vict'ry' and sneak out at night (maybe) like they did in Iraq. What's for sure is they won't be holding the mega-bases they've built for much longer.
While in Kandahar in 1997, I had the opportunity to interview several Taliban ministers to include Wakil Ahmad Motawakil, then the Taliban Foreign Minister. The minister confided that he thought "the US wants war with Afghanistan." He also stated that Mullah Omar had Osama bin Laden under virtual house arrest citing caution over rhetoric as the more important ingredient. Mullah Omar thought Osama bin Laden had a big mouth which he feared would bring about trouble for Afghanistan. On numerous occassions the Taliban offerred the Bush Administration Osam bin Laden on the proverbial platter only to be ignored or rebuffed at every turn. And thanks to two French investigative journalists, we have since learned that the US advised Pakistan's Foreign Secretary (Niaz Naik) during the summer of 2001, months prior to 9/11, that "we will attack Afghanistan before the snow flies in October." Karzai was at one time a deputy minister in the Northern Alliance assemblage of war criminals, drug traffickers and war lords, who are currently being groomed to succeed Karzai by the US.
We are also the ones who didn't ignore Afghanistan after the Russians left but actually supported the Taliban for three more years to overthrow the Afghan government and instal the Taliban in Kabul. Former Sec of War Gates was in charge of it.