Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Former Top U.S. Envoys Believe The Current U.S. Afghan Withdrawal Plan Risks 'Total Civil War'

Negotiators have cut the Afghan government out of discussions and have planned the departure of US troops before sealing a full peace agreement. Photograph: US Army/Reuters

The Guardian: Afghanistan: current US withdrawal plan risks 'total civil war', top envoys say

* Nine ambassadors condemn US approach to negotiations
* Letter says full withdrawal must come ‘only after real peace’

The majority of America’s ambassadors to Afghanistan since the removal of the Taliban government have condemned the US approach to negotiating a troop withdrawal, warning it risked a return to “total civil war”.

Writing the day after a draft agreement was announced, the nine men, including a former deputy secretary of state, said they supported peace talks in Afghanistan.

But they warned the current approach risks spawning more violence and insecurity, because negotiators have cut the Afghan government out of discussions and have planned the departure of US troops before sealing a full peace agreement.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Afghanistan is already engulfed by civil war .... U.S. withdrawal or not. But these envoys are probably right that cutting out the Afghan government from the negotiations was not a smart move. This also reminds me of President Obama's negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal. He also kept all of America's closest allies in the Middle East out of the loop until an agreement was announced, thereby alienating everybody but the Iranians. As to my prediction on what will happen next in Afghanistan. The Taliban are playing the waiting game, firmly convinced that they have the mass majority of Afghans on their side, and that God will make them victorious. They just want the Americans out, and more importantly, its air power gone. After that, you can take it to the bank, it will be all out war.

3 comments:

Jeffsmith said...

I agree 100% wnu. Two minutes after we leave it will be total cluster you know what.🤯😒

Mike Feldhake said...

You can't fix that! So, the simple math is to leave else we own it for decades - but even that will just promote more hatred towards the US.

Anonymous said...

I agree with WNU.

I do not think that the Taliban can conquer the whole country without outside volunteers and without Pakistani aid.

The Taliban were on the verge of taking over the entire country in 2001, but that was with Al Qaeda providing 500 to 1,000 troops.

If the US is out, it is not likely that Iran's and Pakistan's interest will coincide. They will fight. My feeling is that Pakistan will win early on. After that I do not know.

If Iran is not our ally, I would rather that they are stretched and waste resources in a proxy or direct war with Pakistan.

Can Iran fight in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, the Gulf and Afghanistan?

I do not mean spoiling attacks against the US in Afghanistan, but upping the ante or getting rolled by Pakistan.

"the rise of the oceans began to slow"

Well if Obama can slow the rise of the oceans, then Iran-Pakistan peace should be a cinch for the scam artist.