With no meaningful role for the Afghan government in US-Taliban peace talks, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been desperate to kick-start separate peace talks with the Taliban over the past few days, even approaching Pakistan with the hope that it could facilitate such a meeting.
The Taliban has other ideas, however. New reports to the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reveal that the Taliban central leadership council has confirmed plans for limited US talks. The council added that it would have nothing to do with the “illegal and powerless” Karzai government.
This is in keeping with long-standing Taliban policy. Its leadership has argued that Karzai’s government exists only at the pleasure of 100,000+ NATO occupation forces with no real power or support of its own.
Even the US talks, according to the AIP report, will be limited to prisoner exchanges for the time being. The US has reiterated the possibility of releasing detainees from Guantanamo Bay, saying this might provide an incentive for broadening the peace talks. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says no decision has been made on the releases.
Why should the Taliban make any kind of deal with the government that attacked and occupied their country? Why? All they have to do is to keep up the pressure and their enemies will scramble to leave.
This is typical of the American government, to undermine their allies in the eyes of their enemies. How would anyone expect the Karzai government to stand any chance at staying in power with such public humiliations by the very group that insisted they take power in the first place? It all gives me the creeps.
Just another "brilliant" idea from Bushco. Except, all the support Karzai told Bush he had back home in Kabul – wasn't there. From the beginning of the installation of Karzai, his "support" has been almost entirely provided by the NATO/US coalition. Well, except for Karzai's extensive family who are up to their eyeballs in payoffs and theft.
The mistake from the beginning was to assume that one man, Karzai, who is basically a westerner, having spent soooo much time out of the country in the world of movers and shakers, could overcome all those little warlords, some who have large followings, could change what was a historically fiefdom-style governing model to an American-style democracy, overnight.
As we can see, it didn't work. It needed a very, very strong man from the beginning to pull the warlords together and then slowly work toward democracy, over many years. They were in too much of a hurry. And now they have what is clearly not worth having,
…The mistake from the beginning…. We can talk about mistakes only if we know the purpose. The original official purpose was achieved by the end of 2001, why are we still there? An occupying force cannot afford to have a strong and honest local leader as a puppet.
I dont think Taliban would ever negociate anything with the US, Taliban argument is. what is there to negociate, NATO go home, that is the only nogoication left.
"The US talks to itself" would be a more appropriate title.