Just yesterday the world's media were celebrating the handover of power from ISAF to Afghan forces.
And what a great story it was! After twelve years of occupation the Afghans are finally stepping out on their own!
Asserting themselves!
Taking over the leadership in their fight with the Talibs!
Then the story comes out that on the very day that NATO/ISAF hand the reins to the Afghans, the US is entering into negotiations in Doha with the Taliban.
Without inviting their bumboy Karzai to the party!
That automatically debunks an entire news-cycle's worth of bullshit about the Afghans taking charge of their own destiny, don't you think?
Karzai certainly thought so.
Which leaves both the pretend handover and the negotiations with the Taliban up in the air for the foreseeable future.
But this impasse won't last long. Karzai is all too well aware of who butters his bread.
Showing posts with label Taliban peace talks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taliban peace talks. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Rival peace talks assure successful end to Afghan fiasco
The news has been out there for a while now that the Taliban, the evil-doers we kicked out of power back in 2001, have opened an office in Qatar for the sole purpose of negotiating with the US.
What might they be negotiating? The Hindu website has a pretty good take on that. First, the Taliban negotiating team wants themselves taken off the US "Kill or Capture" list. Makes a certain amount of sense, I guess.
Can you really have a serious talk with someone who has you on a hit list?
Next, release all Taliban prisoners wherever they might be held.
Beyond that, it's all about making the US/NATO capitulation look like some sort of victory. We're literally pleading with the Taliban to make us look good as we high-tail it out of there.
Meanwhile, back in Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is mightily pissed that the surrender talks have started without him. He is the leader of the country, after all. He has retaliated by convening separate peace talks with the Taliban in Saudi Arabia.
Duelling peace talks, as it were.
There's a bit of a novelty involved here, in that the Taliban are humoring Karzai by agreeing to meet with him. In the past, they've refused direct negotiations with Karzai's regime, claiming he's just an American stooge. While anyone who has followed the Afghan fiasco knows that's true, this does seem to indicate a bit of mellowing in the Taliban position.
So it's peace talks here and peace talks there and peace talks all round as we prepare to declare victory and move on to the next fiasco.
Iran.
What might they be negotiating? The Hindu website has a pretty good take on that. First, the Taliban negotiating team wants themselves taken off the US "Kill or Capture" list. Makes a certain amount of sense, I guess.
Can you really have a serious talk with someone who has you on a hit list?
Next, release all Taliban prisoners wherever they might be held.
Beyond that, it's all about making the US/NATO capitulation look like some sort of victory. We're literally pleading with the Taliban to make us look good as we high-tail it out of there.
Meanwhile, back in Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is mightily pissed that the surrender talks have started without him. He is the leader of the country, after all. He has retaliated by convening separate peace talks with the Taliban in Saudi Arabia.
Duelling peace talks, as it were.
There's a bit of a novelty involved here, in that the Taliban are humoring Karzai by agreeing to meet with him. In the past, they've refused direct negotiations with Karzai's regime, claiming he's just an American stooge. While anyone who has followed the Afghan fiasco knows that's true, this does seem to indicate a bit of mellowing in the Taliban position.
So it's peace talks here and peace talks there and peace talks all round as we prepare to declare victory and move on to the next fiasco.
Iran.
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