Pakistan to release all Afghan Taliban detainees: minister

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

Pakistan plans to release all Afghan Taliban prisoners still in its detention, including the group's former second-in-command, an official said on Friday, the clearest signal yet that it backs reconciliation efforts.

"The remaining detainees, we are coordinating, and they will be released subsequently," Jalil Jilani, Pakistan's foreign secretary, said at a news conference in Abu Dhabi.

Asked if the former Taliban number 2 Mullah Baradar would be among those to be released, he said: "The aim is to release all," without elaborating further.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-pakistan-afghanistan-taliban-idUSBRE90H0SG20130118

[bemildred]

1. Wow. Things are moving now. nt

[srican69]

2. another 10 billion in aid .. and they might agree to keep them locked up for another year...

nice business model

[cosmicone]

3. Drones will be ready I suppose..... n/t

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. These are supposed to be our negotiating partners...

...so it seems drone strikes would be counterproductive.

[cosmicone]

6. You must be joking

These are hard core terrorists from active duty Pakistani military, hand-picked and trained extensively by the ISI to carry out attacks against Afghanistan's legitimate government so that Pakistan can control that country.

Just like the original Taliban which toppled a legitimate government in Kabul led by Ahmad Shah Masood because he was friendly to the West and India.

Throughout the Russian invasion and even years after their exit, Taliban did not exist. Taliban was and is a creation of the Pakistani military.

For those of you who think Pakistan is a nice little benevolent country whose civilians are unnecessarily suffering, read about "Kunduz Airlift" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunduz_airlift

Pakistan is a terrorist state and thus it will release terrorists from jail. We can do nothing but use drones or they will kill our soldiers in their zeal to control Afghanistan.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. Tell it to Obama and Karzai.

They're the ones negotiating with the Taliban. They haven't been able to beat them, so the alternatives are perpetual war or a negotiated settlement.

"Afghanistan's legitimate government?" Now, you're the one who must be joking.

[Socal31]

8. You do realize there are are photos of our Predator bases on Paki soil.

Pretending that the government is not playing both sides (anti-Taliban and saving face with its people) is just wrong.

However, they see the writing on the wall. They will be Afghanistan's neighbor long after we are gone from that death-trap. They are hoping that it will be forgotten that they were complicit in many aspects of our drone campaign.

[triplepoint]

5. Where's Major Kong When You Need Him?

Nuff Said...for now...

[Alamuti Lotus]

9. not too surprising, the Afghan Taliban is not actively hostile to Pakistani interests

the entirely distinct organization under similar name that is active in Pakistan, on the other hand, is extremely hostile to interests of the State.

Mullah Baradar's imprisonment in the first place was somewhat confusing, he was in the middle of (limited) negotiations with the illegitimate collaborator regime at the time he was seized. Well, perhaps not so confusing now that I've written it out.