Is Negotiating With The Taliban A Waste Of Time

Pakistani Commander Warns Against Negotiations With Taliban -- Washington Examiner

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — American military and political leaders have said they are willing to join the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai in negotiations with the Taliban.

That makes some top military commanders in Pakistan, locked in their own bitter conflict with the Taliban, very anxious.

From his headquarters in Bala Hisar Fort, a 4,000-year-old redoubt near the Khyber Pass, Pakistani Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan warned that if the United States agreed to reconciliation talks with the Taliban, it would be committing a major mistake.

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My Comment: Words of wisdom from the Pakistani commander who has seen it all. His comments on how to win echo what my uncle .... who served in the Soviet Army during the Afghan war in the 80s ... has also mentioned to me. One has to empower the hundreds of different tribes in the region that it is in their best interests to work with the central government to attain some form of autonomy and benefits from such a relationship. Negotiating with Taliban commanders .... who are essentially gang leaders .... will only undermine traditional Afghan societal norms and loyalty to one's own tribe.

But will General McChrystal and his political masters in Washington listen .... hmmmm .... I guess only time will tell.

On a side note, I love what the commander said about "moderate Taliban".

"Moderate Taliban .... what is a moderate Taliban?" Khan asked.

I myself have yet to get a straight answer from anyone who is in support for direct negotiations with the Taliban to define what a "moderate Taliban" is. I guess it is like saying he is a moderate Nazi, a moderate racist, a moderate Khmeur Rouge leader, etc etc etc....