Coalition force members ride in a light-tactical all-terrain vehicle during a presence patrol in Afghanistan's Farah province, Dec. 16, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau
Encouraging Signs Toward Peace In Afghanistan -- David Ignatius, Washington Post
In this season of good will, there is a rare bit of good cheer about the prospects for peace with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The reason seems to be that some Taliban leaders are concluding that they couldn’t win the civil war that might follow U.S. withdrawal of combat troops.
The Taliban appear to recognize that their leverage, paradoxically, may decline when most U.S. forces depart at the end of 2014. The situation has changed since the 1990s, when the Taliban took power after a civil war: Pakistan is no longer a reliable political patron or financial backer, and it may not provide a haven.
Read more ....
My Comment: I can understand why David Ignatius wants to be optimistic .... after 11 years of war and thousands of casualties we do want to leave Afghanistan with a better future than what it has had in the past. But .... I just do not see the major factions of the Taliban agreeing to lay down their arms and join the political process in Afghanistan. They have always believed that they are going to win in the end .... so to lay down their weapons just when US forces are leaving .... it`s not going to happen. I expect a few more years of fighting, and if the Afghan Army can hold together .... that is when a majority of the Taliban will then start looking for a political compromise.
No comments:
Post a Comment