Wednesday
Mar252009
Afghanistan: Former Taliban Ready for Talks with US
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 18:56
Related Post: Waiting for the US Strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan
As we noted earlier today, we're still trying to assess how significant talks with former enemies, such as the Taliban, will be in the Obama Administration's strategy on Afghanistan-Pakistan. So this article from Global Post, based on the interviews of Jean Mackenzie with two former high-ranking members of the Taliban, takes on added significance. in the Mullah Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil (pictured), who was foreign minister during the Taliban regime, is of special interest: in October 2001 he tried to reach a deal with the United States , via Pakistan, in which Osama bin Laden would be handed over for trial.
EXCLUSIVE: FORMER TALIBAN SEE OPENING FOR TALKS
Jean MacKenzie
KABUL — Talking to the Taliban is all the rage.
Whether for or against, upbeat or down, everyone seems to be weighing in on the wisdom or folly of negotiating with the black-turbaned crowd.
President Barack Obama has even suggested that his administration may reach out to moderate elements of the Taliban.
GlobalPost has gained unique access here in Kabul to two former high-ranking officials of the now-deposed Taliban government to hear their view of the possibility of an opening for dialogue.
Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, who was the Taliban’s ambassador to Pakistan, and Mullah Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, who served as foreign minister during the Taliban regime, confirmed in separate interviews that such talks were feasible, but that they would need to begin with a fundamental understanding that the view of this conflict looks very different from an Afghan-Taliban perspective.
Both emphasized they do not represent Mullah Omar and the Taliban’s active militant insurgency, but offered valuable insight into the likely debate within the Taliban’s inner circle about the various overtures from Washington to open talks.
Before any serious discussions can take place, they say, the warring parties at least have to agree on what they are fighting about. To date, that fairly obvious goal has been shrouded by rhetoric and misunderstanding.
Read the full article....
As we noted earlier today, we're still trying to assess how significant talks with former enemies, such as the Taliban, will be in the Obama Administration's strategy on Afghanistan-Pakistan. So this article from Global Post, based on the interviews of Jean Mackenzie with two former high-ranking members of the Taliban, takes on added significance. in the Mullah Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil (pictured), who was foreign minister during the Taliban regime, is of special interest: in October 2001 he tried to reach a deal with the United States , via Pakistan, in which Osama bin Laden would be handed over for trial.EXCLUSIVE: FORMER TALIBAN SEE OPENING FOR TALKS
Jean MacKenzie
KABUL — Talking to the Taliban is all the rage.
Whether for or against, upbeat or down, everyone seems to be weighing in on the wisdom or folly of negotiating with the black-turbaned crowd.
President Barack Obama has even suggested that his administration may reach out to moderate elements of the Taliban.
GlobalPost has gained unique access here in Kabul to two former high-ranking officials of the now-deposed Taliban government to hear their view of the possibility of an opening for dialogue.
Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, who was the Taliban’s ambassador to Pakistan, and Mullah Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, who served as foreign minister during the Taliban regime, confirmed in separate interviews that such talks were feasible, but that they would need to begin with a fundamental understanding that the view of this conflict looks very different from an Afghan-Taliban perspective.
Both emphasized they do not represent Mullah Omar and the Taliban’s active militant insurgency, but offered valuable insight into the likely debate within the Taliban’s inner circle about the various overtures from Washington to open talks.
Before any serious discussions can take place, they say, the warring parties at least have to agree on what they are fighting about. To date, that fairly obvious goal has been shrouded by rhetoric and misunderstanding.
Read the full article....