Behind Cautious Signal, a Decision for Afghan Peace Talks

[babylonsister]

Maybe the beginning of the end of our presence in Afghanistan? Yes, I'm an optimist.

Behind Cautious Signal, a Decision for Afghan Peace Talks

by Gareth Porter


KABUL - Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's very cautiously-worded support for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban leadership in an interview published Monday is only the first public signal of a policy decision by the Barack Obama administration to support a political settlement between the Hamid Karzai regime and the Taliban, an official of McChrystal's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command has revealed in an interview with IPS.

Speaking to the Financial Times, McChrystal couched his position on negotiations in terms of an abstract support for negotiated settlements of wars, saying, "I believe that a political solution to all conflicts is the inevitable outcome." The ISAF commander avoided a direct answer to the question of whether the Taliban could play a role in a future Afghan government.

When pressed by the interviewer on the issue, McChrystal would only say that "any Afghan can play a role if they focus on the future and not the past."

The ISAF official, who spoke with IPS on condition that he would not be named, was much more candid about the centrality of peace negotiations with the Taliban leadership in the Obama administration's strategy in Afghanistan and about the understanding of the ISAF command that the Taliban leadership is independent of al Qaeda and is already positioning itself for a political settlement.

The official said the objective of the troop surge and the ISAF strategy accompanying it is to support a negotiated political settlement. "The story of the next 18 months is the story of establishing the conditions under which reconciliation will take place," said the official.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/01/26-11headline/2010/01/26-11

[Botany]

1. Oh please let this be true.

BTW Obama is a lot smarter than me.

[babylonsister]

2. Me, too, Botany, me, too. nt

[ShortnFiery]

3. Yes, the fact that the areas are diverse and tribal won't hold back the peace process.

Add to that, the fact that the President is ILLEGITIMATE and if not "the" is "one of the" MOST CORRUPT Governments in the world. Well, that said = I'm sure everything will turn out swimmingly. :eyes:

[Clio the Leo]

4. Good to know that the Taliban may ALSO be interested in pursuing reconciliation....

.... :)

And in Clio's dream world, this was the President's plan ALL along. ;)

[rug]

5. This is good news indeed if it happens.

[glitch]

6. K & R in hope this is true. Plus here's a better link

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/01/26-11

[babylonsister]

7. Thanks; don't know what happened to the link in the OP. nt