No surprise. Karzai is bargaining for his life—if he reaches an accommodation with the Taliban, maybe they won’t kill him when he runs off to Switzerland with the money he’s skimmed.
Karzai has gotten rich off of US money and plans to abandon the country at the first sign of trouble when the US military leaves.
I can’t fault him for trying. He knows the individuals.
There is an assumption that the Taliban is homogeneous in belief. Perhaps Karzi can see individuals that do not posses the fervor of most radical. They have for the time being at least rebuffed his advances.
They are now considering if it is best to maintain the radical hard line or come in for the cold.
History is a process, not a single event
“President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has been engaged in secret contacts with the Taliban “
umm...he’s been doing this for years
WHAT! There’s corruption in afghanistan. Shocked I tell ya. WHAT? Karzai is getting rich off us? But he seems like such a nice guy. LOL!
He had better cozy up to the Taliban if he want’s to stay in power, or keep his head. He knows we’ll be gone and they’ll be coming. Just like the Soviets. Just like all the liberals said 11 years ago. We just didn’t know how deep our government’s corruption and avarice was back then.
This should be an important note to the US military. Since scoundrels like Karzai hobnob with the enemy, and let enemy prisoners go, the US military should be reluctant to take any but the most minor prisoners.
I am reminded of a story from the Philippine Insurrection, when a group of Muslim Moro Pirates who had been terrorizing villagers were captured, while being escorted back to the American base as POWs, some dozen or so of them “fell off a log and broke their necks.”
What would you do if you knew America was not committed to see this through? If you watched our president telegraph our every move....giving up on Iraq and kissing up to dictators?