Friday, October 10, 2008

Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks Are Not On The Table

At the table: Afghan and ex-Taliban officials met with Saudi King Abdullah.
Reuters. (Photo from the Christian Science Monitor)

No Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks, For Now -- Christian Science Monitor

Kabul may have tried to reach out to current insurgents by meeting with former Taliban in Saudi Arabia late last month.

Kabul, Afghanistan - The Taliban are not engaged in peace talks with the Afghan government, despite recent reports to the contrary, say sources close to the insurgents and the government.

Instead, meetings held last month in Saudi Arabia – which brought former Taliban officials together with members of the Afghan and Saudi governments – may be an attempt by Kabul to start negotiations with the current Taliban.

"The meetings signal that the Afghan government is weak and is desperate for a solution," says Waheed Muzhda, a political analyst in Kabul and former official in the Taliban government.

They've come at a time when the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan is reaching unprecedented heights, causing some analysts to doubt that the militants will be interested in making peace.

Read more ....

My Comment: The war is escalating, and the Taliban want to prove their metal on the battlefield. There are going to be no peace discussions until next year .... at the earliest.

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