Posted on 02/08/2020 11:04:13 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
America has exhausted all of its military options in Afghanistan and is left with little choice but to forge ahead in peace talks with the Taliban, Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Asad M. Khan said Monday, underscoring the high stakes of grueling negotiations.
In an exclusive interview with The Washington Times, Mr. Khan said the two sides have reached a crucial moment — despite continued Taliban attacks and a spike in American strikes against the radical Islamist movement’s top targets — to solidify a cease-fire agreement that could wind down two decades of conflict and bring to a close the longest war in U.S. history.
President Trump has pressed for a deal with the Taliban and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul that would allow him to draw down the estimated 12,000-plus American combat troops based in the country, but both sides have balked when a deal appeared in sight over the past year.
“What is the alternative?” Mr. Khan said. “There is no military solution. You have tried it with a much larger military presence there, and that did not result in peace.”
In a wide-ranging conversation with The Times, Pakistan’s top diplomat in Washington slammed India’s actions in recent months in Kashmir, warned of a potential refugee crisis if the Kashmir dispute isn’t resolved peacefully and urged the U.S. and Iran to cool tensions or risk further destabilization of a fragile region.
Mr. Khan also said Pakistan is thankful for White House efforts to tamp down conflicts between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
Mr. Trump is set to visit India, but not Pakistan, at the end of the month, and speculation is mounting over what the U.S. president will say to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the long stalemate over Kashmir.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
It’s always a great negotiation position when the other party knows you have no choice and want the deal badly.
This is like negotiating for a car when the salesman knows you are on foot and can’t get credit anywhere else.
If they aren’t coming to you with tears in their eyes begging to negotiate, they are gonna put the big britches on you... big time.
I agree with you. They smell blood in the water. They aren’t going to give an inch.
I attended a meeting of Pakhtun “elders” from areas so far distant that they had to introduce their kids to each other.
...........
Looking around the room it was amazing to see how much they looked alike. They could all pass for cousins or brothers. The incidence of first cousin marriage is about 40%.
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You fight with one you fight with them all.
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What military solution does anyone have in mind? Other than extermination?
That we have the political will for?
We killed bin laden, destroyed al-queda, and punished the Taliban. Declare mission accomplished, salt their poppy fields and bring the boys home. Enough of this nation building sh@t with 7th century goat humpers.
Trump is right we need to get out of Afghanistan but the negotiations need to have some US muscle to get their attention.
We know which areas are Taliban controlled and where they have bases. Our Air Force should bomb and Hellfire missile them to rocks and dust. The fields of poppies they use for opium sales should be sprayed with long-lasting weed killer. If we fear their ground to air defenses, we should have some cheap drones fly first and bomb any areas that Taliban fire comes from before our attacks and weed spraying. Yes there may be some innocents killed but we have accurate weapons to make the numbers small.
If we withdraw, it goes back to the Afghans themselves. The Talibs will take control of the country, unless there is sufficient desire among the tribes to keep them out of power.
Not all afghans want to live under Talib rule. The question is, are there enough of them? So far, considering the number of attacks on US people by supposedly “friendly” afghan soldiers, it looks like no.
We could take this back to a special forces war, which it seems it almost is anyway, where we align ourselves with any non-talib warlords and support them, and let them do the fighting. Maybe this is where Trump wants to go, but I’m not sure of that. Or maybe he is ready to simply let the Talibs have it, and let the chips fall where they may.
Taliban should be treated like ISIS.
Eradicate.
Should have been done 18 years ago.
This carries the State Department stench. Why negotiate? Just arm the Northern Alliance with our “leftovers” and leave.
What happened to the Northern Alliance?
NO, DAMMIT!!!
Too many good men have been lost there!
We will become just one more, with Alexander, the Romans, the British, the Russians ...
NO, nuke the mofos and let them rebuild themaelves!!
I trust Trump to get the best deal he can on the way out.
But it IS time to just leave, staying does America no good and continues to waste our money and the blood of our finest men.
breaking-
US Special Op. Forces & US trained Afghan commandos got into a verbal dispute with each other right before they were ready to engage Taliban in Nangarhar Province.
Between 6-18 US Special Op. Forces r said to have been eliminated by Afghan forces, their allies.
Hear! Hear!
sarge83 nails it...
The Constitution of Afghanistan is explicitly Islamic. That is all you need to know, to know Americans should not be defending it.
At least 4 American Spec. Ops killed in clash in my post #15.
Got a link?
I posted the AP article in the forum. It conflicts with the initial account from Afghans who were there.
Lots of links here:
https://mobile.twitter.com/searchq=Nangarhar&src=typeahead_click&f=live
Oops, sorry. Accidentally put a space in there.
https://mobile.twitter.com/search?q=Nangarhar&src=typeahead_click
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