US enters into peace talks with Taliban

[undercoverbrother]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-progress.html

None of the parties are expecting any imminent breakthrough, but US officials described the opening of negotiations with the Taliban as an “important development” on the road to reconciliation.
They were at pains to be realistic about the road ahead, conceding that levels of trust between parties were “extremely low”.

Hope this leads to a lasting peace in that country.

[Rathji]

Maybe it is just the fact that I just finished watching 2 seasons of Homeland within the past couple weeks, but I can see this not ending well.

[CaptainCrunch]

I doubt that the Taliban is interested in co-government. Once the Western Powers leave there will be an immense civil war that will make Syria look like a back yard party.

The Taliban isn't interested in woman/girl rights/educational rights, keeping the roads and rail lines and a lot of the infrastructure that the Western World has put in place,those are all evil influences to them.

They will want their horrible version of extreme Sharia law with daily public executions.

There is no chance that this will end well for the normal people in Afghanistan who just want a normal life.

The American's are stupid to even be entering into these negotiations, they should be pushing in the final months to exterminate as many of these extremists as possible.

[Table 5]

This reeks of a trap!

[Bigtime]

Mission Accomplished?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Mission Accomplished?

I think you mean

Spoiler!

[Bigtime]

Oh yes, my question mark was intentional.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I doubt that the Taliban is interested in co-government. Once the Western Powers leave there will be an immense civil war that will make Syria look like a back yard party.

The Taliban isn't interested in woman/girl rights/educational rights, keeping the roads and rail lines and a lot of the infrastructure that the Western World has put in place,those are all evil influences to them.

They will want their horrible version of extreme Sharia law with daily public executions.

There is no chance that this will end well for the normal people in Afghanistan who just want a normal life.

The American's are stupid to even be entering into these negotiations, they should be pushing in the final months to exterminate as many of these extremists as possible.

I don't disagree really, but it is difficult for the U.S. and allies to keep fighting the Taliban when they have already been dealing with the Afghanistan government.

There are 3 choices the way I see it:

A) You fight them forever. (Expensive and breeds malcontent both at home and abroad); and,

B) You make peace. (Afghanitan will be hooped in the long run).


The 3rd choice is the one that I personally agree with, but is the most contraversial and the most difficult to pull off nowadays.

C) You go all in and obliterate the enemy by all means possible. This is difficult because modern standards of warfare don't allow for the scale of destruction and suffering, even if in the long run, the country would be better off than with the slowburn of contant strife. Unfortunately, no one wants to be the bad guy and take the kid gloves off, no matter how much the other side acts like animals.

[Thor]

Sorry but unless the Afghan army can fight them off its inevitable unless we keep troops there.

[DuffMan]

The Taliban have always seemed quite reasonable and open to new ideas.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

The Taliban have always seemed quite reasonable and open to new ideas.

Yup that's why they were so welcoming of swimming pools and soccer stadiums

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Yup that's why they were so welcoming of swimming pools and soccer stadiums

Didn't they used to do their executions in soccer stadiums, back in their glory days?

[WesternCanadaKing]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

C) You go all in and obliterate the enemy by all means possible. This is difficult because modern standards of warfare don't allow for the scale of destruction and suffering, even if in the long run, the country would be better off than with the slowburn of contant strife. Unfortunately, no one wants to be the bad guy and take the kid gloves off, no matter how much the other side acts like animals.

This is difficult because it doesn't work. At all.

Entering into talks with the Taliban is the best route to some stability right now. The Afghan forces are growing, both in size and competence. Being able to use these forces to manage internal enemies without direct help from abroad is the only way things start getting better.

The Taliban thrives on instability and chaos, it is what drives people into their arms. Stepping up military operations now would undo so many years of work and investment, it would be disastrous.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

Didn't they used to do their executions in soccer stadiums, back in their glory days?

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by nik-

that's the joke

hmm, and the swimming pools? what;s the story with those?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

hmm, and the swimming pools? what;s the story with those?

Forced high board diving with no water I think was the story.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by nik-

Forced high board diving with no water I think was the story.

yep shoved people off the 10 m platform with no H2O in which to land....