[MarcusTulliusCicero]

I don't find his explanation any more persuasive than the original statement.

[what's up]

persuade moderate Islamists potentially sympathetic to the Taliban to accept the legitimacy of the Afghan national government and democratic political processes

What's wrong with that?

[CWOJackson]

I detest him and Hastert both, and this explanation isn't anything to be proud of, but it also isn't quite what was originally reported.

If he and Hastart really wanted to do this nation a service they would give up their (lack of) leadership positions.

[CharlesWayneCT]

There are a lot of people in Afghanistan who "support" the Taliban. There's a major tribe, the "Pashtun" tribe, which was largely supportive of the taliban, has 30 million members, and has been fighting the coalition forces.

We need to bring THEM into the government, rather than having them at WAR with their government. Just like we had to get the Sunni, Kurd, and Shia people together in afghanistan, even though the Sunni people supported the Batthists .

We can't simply wipe out everybody who doesn't think like we do. The Pashtun tribe isn't a terrorist organization, and we shouldn't treat them like it. They are a group of people who had their tribe divided in two by the British, and they want a say in the government they have to live under.

We need to bring them to the table, and get them involved. If we do, they will stop supporting the Taliban, and will work FOR Afghanistan instead of against it.