US in back-channel talks with Afghan Taliban
By Azaz Syed
Tuesday, 24 Nov, 2009
ISLAMABAD: After fighting a bloody war in Afghanistan for more than eight years, the United States appears to have undertaken a re-think of its policy and has started engaging the Taliban in negotiations through Saudi and Pakistani intelligence agencies, highly-placed sources told Dawn here on Monday.
‘We have started ‘engagement’ with the Afghan Taliban and are hopeful that our efforts will bear fruit,’ a source involved in secret negotiations told this correspondent.
He said that four ‘major neutral players’ were engaged with the Afghan Taliban on behalf of the Saudi leadership and the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) of Saudi Arabia and the Pakistani leadership and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
The GID and ISI have been doing the job on behalf of the US government and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The source said that one of the main objectives of the recent visit to Pakistan by CIA chief Leon Panetta was to assess progress in the back-channel negotiations.
The source said that four leaders were playing the role of mediators on behalf of the Saudis and the Afghan Taliban.
Among them is Abdullah Anas, a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden’s mentor Abdullah Azzam who was killed in Peshawar in 1989 along with his two sons. Anas lives in the UK, but maintains close links with the Afghan Taliban and even Al Qaida.
Saudi national Abul Hassan Madni, once a prominent leader of Rabta-i-Alam-i-Islami, has also been in the picture. He lives in Madina.
Abu Jud Mehmood Samrai, an Iraqi who is married to a Pakistani woman, has also been contacted. He was given Pakistani nationality by former president Ziaul Haq for his role in the Afghan war.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil, a Pakistani militant leader, is also in the loop. Khalil, who co-founded the Harkatul Ansar, currently heads Hizbul Mujahideen.
He had signed the famous decree issued by Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri in 1998 calling for killing the Americans. Khalil commands respect among both Pakistani and Afghani Taliban and is said to have played a secret mediatory role with Pakistani authorities for peace in the country.
Reliable sources also told Dawn that Mullah Umar, the chief of Afghan Taliban, has nominated his shadow foreign minister, Agha Motasam, to negotiate with the Americans. They said that talks held so far were of a preliminary nature, but may resume on a serious note after Eid.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...-11-2009_pg1_2LAHORE: The United States is not directly talking to the Afghan Taliban, US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said on Monday. He said elections in Afghanistan were not perfect but Washington would continue to support the Afghan government, adding that the US was not in direct contact with the Afghan Taliban.
Like in Iraq, the US can't win militarily, so talking to the Taleban isn't insane.
The fake hard-ass neo-c*nts will go (more) nutz.
Like in Iraq, bribing the Taleban with 100s of $Ms to stop fighting would probably be more effective (but never works in the long run, after the money stops).
Like in Iraq, the US can't win militarily, so talking to the Taleban isn't insane.
The fake hard-ass neo-c*nts will go (more) nutz.
Like in Iraq, bribing the Taleban with 100s of $Ms to stop fighting would probably be more effective (but never works in the long run, after the money stops).
I think we should be in tallks with them. Not to negotiate, but to have an avenue for them to quit. A huge part of the Sunni Awakening was us getting 1920's revolutionary brigage and the bathiist loyalists to publicly leave the side of al queda and other foreign fighters. We can dismantle a large portion of the taliban's stronghold if we alienate them from their allied tribes.
This is also pretty bad on Gates with leaks like this.
I think we should be in tallks with them. Not to negotiate, but to have an avenue for them to quit. A huge part of the Sunni Awakening was us getting 1920's revolutionary brigage and the bathiist loyalists to publicly leave the side of al queda and other foreign fighters. We can dismantle a large portion of the taliban's stronghold if we alienate them from their allied tribes.
This is also pretty bad on Gates with leaks like this.
i guess it's easier to look back to 1920 than it is to look at 2010.
considering it has jack to do with now.
The 1920's Brigades recently took part in the Sunni Awakening. That's what SnC was talking about.
1920's Rev. Brigade is the name of their group. Can you two trolls please keep it about the OP?
Oh, never mind.
I'll reserve the right to drop in on my own thread later on, if that's all right with you, SnC.
of course i was ing around about the 1920's.
why don't you man up and admit we're paying them not to kill us?
this wasn't some bold choice of conscience.
One day someone credible will write a book about all the behind the scenes stuff and you'll find out. When that happens remember what you thought was going on about it.
Why don't you just tell us? You seem to be convinced already.
paying them not to kill us is hardly behind the scenes stuff.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
