Britain and US prepared to open talks with the Taliban

The Guardian ^ | July 27, 2009 | Richard Norton-Taylor

[myknowledge]

A concerted effort to start unprecedented talks between Taliban and British and American envoys was outlined today in a significant change in tactics designed to bring about a breakthrough in the attritional, eight-year conflict in Afghanistan.

Senior ministers and commanders on the ground believe they have created the right conditions to open up a dialogue with "second-tier" local leaders now the Taliban have been forced back in a swath of Helmand province.

They are hoping that Britain's continuing military presence in Helmand, strengthened by the arrival of thousands of US troops, will encourage Taliban commanders to end the insurgency. There is even talk in London and Washington of a military "exit strategy".

Speaking at the end of the five-week Operation Panther's Claw in which hundreds of British troops were reported to have cleared insurgents from a vital region of Helmand province, Lieutenant-General Simon Mayall, deputy chief of defence staff, said: "It gives the Taliban 'second tier' room to reconnect with the government and this is absolutely at the heart of this operation."

[myknowledge]

I can't believe this.

The United States and Great Briatian are not opening negotiations with the very enemy they were supposed to purge off the face of the earth.

This negotiation plan will deliver an Obamalicious result.

What do you think?

[Darkwolf377]

My first reaction is a lot of people who called me a loon when I said this would happen owe me an apology.

My second reaction is, why would a winning military force want to open up negotiations? That's kind of a basic military 101 question.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Isn’t it great how that want to ‘legitimize’ the ‘tolly-bon’. How sweet. /s

[Huskrrrr]

This will embolden our enemy.

[Jonny foreigner]

good news! because “we” allready lost the war. just remember talk is better than just cut and run. this war was lost since the beginning.

[manc]

Even the Taliban laughed at the idea that there are moderate Taliban’s .

Recently bozo said we are not there to win and now we should talk.

OK what the hell are we doing there and taking our best ally with us then.
Both countries are losing men and women but of course the media don’t want to focus on that now Bush has gone.

[Carling]

It's almost like I've seen this in a movie before. Hmmmm...

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I do not think that its going to work. Pakistan has already tried a “dialogue” and it fell apart. The United States and Britain are spinning their wheels.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Why didn’t we think of this in 1943 ?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Open talks???

OPEN FIRE!!!!

[allmost]

It wont change the fact that they want kill us, and subjugate the rest. It will give them breathing room, an air of respectability with those that may have opposed them otherwise, and of course obama will throw in funding from our tax dollars to them. This bad, this is real bad.

[Recovering Hermit]

What do you think?

I think it's going to take years to reverse the damage that this asshole has already done...and he's just getting started.

[Cheap_Hessian]

This feels a lot like the past Spanish election where they voted the socialist after the train bombing. Too many people think they can ignore the threats from militant Islam.

[Colonel_Flagg]

What do I think? I think that Pat Tillman is watching this from someplace and he’s not very pleased.

[cranked]

[Boiling Pots]

Maybe the Spaniards figured out Saddam Hussein wasn’t part of militant Islam, that he was in fact secular.

[GenY Republican]

Ah yes, Mr.Chamberlain! The Ulimate surrenderer of all mankind

[glock rocks]

There is even talk in London and Washington of a military "exit strategy".

What do you think?

Exit strategy.

[myknowledge]

Continue the fight against the Taliban until it is fractured, and Mullah Omar is killed.

Better yet, leave it to the PMCs, operating in Afghanistan under U.S. letters of marque and reprisal. They’ll know how to do things right without the vilification of the MSM.

[Jonny foreigner]

It wont change the fact that they want kill us...

---

believe me the “standart” Taliban doesn´t even know that something like the US exists. Nor do they want to kill you. All they know is that some forreign troops try to interfere in their daily buisness. (opium trade and their personal view of the world). then again they do know nothing about the world. but they know how to kill. this is all they have ever done before. Killing people. if there are no forreigners to kill they will contine to kill them selfes. as they have done it in their whole life. they know nothing else