Posted on 01/11/2016 9:13:06 AM PST by Citizen Zed
Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States held talks on Monday to resurrect a stalled Afghan peace process and end nearly 15 years of bloodshed, even as fighting with Taliban insurgents intensifies.
Senior officials from the four countries are meeting in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, to launch a process they hope will lead to negotiations with Taliban insurgents, who are fighting to re-impose their strict brand of Islamist rule and are not expected at Monday's talks.
The Pakistani prime minister's foreign affairs adviser, Sartaj Aziz, opened the meeting, saying the primary goal should be to convince the Taliban to come to the table and consider giving up violence.
"It is therefore important that preconditions are not attached to the start of the negotiation process. This, we argue, will be counterproductive," he said.
"The threat of use of military action against irreconcilables cannot precede the offer of talks to all the groups."
Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry were joined by Richard Olson, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and General Anthony Rock, the top U.S. defense representative in Pakistan, as well as China's special envoy on Afghanistan affairs, Deng Xijun.
Renewed peace efforts come amid spiraling violence in Afghanistan, with last year one of the bloodiest on record following the withdrawal of most foreign troops at the end of 2014.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
China? AmaZing.
IMHO The Taliban are fundamentalist Muslims, who will not give up their fight for Islam.
No worldly bribes will deter them from their seeking eternal reward through Jihad and imposing Sharia on everyone.
The Taliban are students of the Koran and Hadiths and know what Allah and Muhammed expect of them, as do the Wahabbis in Saudi Arabia. -Tom
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