A high profile “reintegration” plan involving allegedly key Taliban forces has become a complete disaster on several levels. Two “Taliban leaders” were supposed to show up and surrender their weapons in front of former US Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, but no one told the US forces guarding the compound, who captured the armed men en route to the event. Later, officials found out they weren’t even real Taliban, they were actors hired by the governor to “curry favor with Eikenberry.” Is it any wonder the peace talks never go anywhere?
A US soldier died in Kandahar on Saturday, October 30. He was killed by an RPG attack. Twenty eight US soldiers have been reported killed in Afghanistan in October. If that total holds it will mark the first time since March, 2011 that less than thirty US soldiers died in the month.
The only thing more sadly humorous than being ripped off by the local politicians is the story from a couple years ago that the Brits had paid big bucks to a man who they were positive was a rep for all the Taliban and he was promising peace. He disappeared with all the money and the real Taliban disavowed him as a fraudster. Can anyone say "Chu Hoi"? It worked to some degree in Viet Nam, but the Taliban in Afghanistan represent millions of people who are really PO'ed about all those many thousands of collateral deaths caused by the US.
Who cares about casualties when the Imperial legions further covered themselves with glory by capturing the actors who were to surrender to the Proconsul Eikenberry? Sounds like the veterans have a solid second career choice in the TSA, where they can continue to apprehend the wrong people.
They've learned the Afghans to do "Wag the Dog"! Now THAT is an accomplishment!
Somebody should be sending a team out to study this innovative cooperation-building strategy, maybe it could be used to get more ordinary Afghans on-side.