Posted on 05/16/2011 10:50:55 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
The administration has accelerated direct talks with the Taliban, initiated several months ago, that U.S. officials say they hope will enable President Obama to report progress toward a settlement of the Afghanistan war when he announces troop withdrawals in July.
A senior Afghan official said a U.S. representative attended at least three meetings in Qatar and Germany, one as recently as “eight or nine days ago,” with a Taliban official considered close to Mohammad Omar, the group’s leader.
State Department spokesman Michael A. Hammer on Monday declined to comment on the Afghan official’s assertion, saying the United States had a “broad range of contacts across Afghanistan and the region, at many levels. . . . We’re not going to get into the details of those contacts.”
The talks have proceeded on several tracks, including through nongovernmental intermediaries and Arab and European governments. The Taliban has made clear its preference for direct negotiations with the Americans and has proposed establishing a formal political office, with Qatar under consideration as a venue, according to U.S. officials.
An attempt to open talks with the insurgent group failed late last year when an alleged Taliban leader, secretly flown by NATO to Kabul, turned out to be a fraud. “Nobody wants to do that again,” a senior Obama administration official said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Muslims helping Muslims
Saudi riyals dictating U.S. foreign policy. Pathetic. We sent American troops to Afghanistan in 2001 to remove the Taliban from power in order to put them back in power in 2011. Makes perfect sense.
>> turned out to be a fraud. “Nobody wants to do that again,” a senior Obama administration official said.
Understatement of the Millennium.
He will say in his ads, "Osama killed we can pull out now mission accomplished"
Just what is our stated goal in Afghanistan? ‘Democracy’?, peace?
The Taliban are fundamentalist stone age Muslim. What is there to negotiate?
Zer0’s announcement that we are leaving sealed the Afghan’s fate.
The people are choosing sides for their future health.
Don’t we have a facility in Cuba where we have discussions with Taliban members?
D'oh!
I guess we're negotiating with terrorists now?
If Obama puts the Taliban back into power in Afghanistan, he'll be creating a humanitarian crisis, particularly against women.
did we surrender yet???
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