Dash Posted July 28, 2009 Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 A concerted effort to start unprecedented talks between Taliban and British and American envoys was outlined yesterday 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." Read the full article here They're flat out saying they're doing this to try and split and Taliban, let the ones who want to be legitimate part of the country be legitimate and lessen the power of the ones who will fight on regardless. It's pure divide and conquer. Thing is, will it work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owner Real Deal Posted July 28, 2009 Owner Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 How do you negotiate with someone who doesn't care if they kill themselves as long as it kills you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted July 28, 2009 Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 Obama would be an idiot if he goes through with this. Then again, I wouldn't put it past him either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Posted July 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 How do you negotiate with someone who doesn't care if they kill themselves as long as it kills you? The question our government has been pondering over for 8 years. The Taliban is a faceless terrorist organization that depends almost entirely on splinter cells spread throughout civilian communities in the free world. Some people will peg this down as being a "wallflower" but we've tried the same tactics for over 8 years, and they're insurgent militias who hide within their own territories and civilian ones clearly have us at a loss at how to consistently affect them. Using soft power and other more brain using strategies would be best in the long run I figure. Obama would be an idiot if he goes through with this. Then again, I wouldn't put it past him either. It could be foolish or could not. However, Pakistan tried a similar tactic and that didn't end so well. The Pakistanis eventually realized that if you give them an inch they take a mile, and were forced to resort to all-out war to at least attempt to get some resolve to the situation. That said, is it likely to work? Probably not but I do hope somehow it does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.