Obama Administration; Wishing in one hand…
An Associated Press article in the Stars & Stripes tells us about how the “US has new confidence in peace talks with Taliban”
The diplomatic, military and intelligence branches of the U.S. government differ over the value of talks with the Taliban or whether now is the right time to so publicly shift focus away from the ongoing military campaign that primarily targets Taliban insurgents. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and some uniformed military leaders recently have sounded some of the strongest notes of caution, especially on when to grant Taliban requests for the transfer of several of its prisoners from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military and other U.S. officials said.
Yeah, see I remember the Paris Peace Accords which everyone thought was a guarantee for the survival of the South Vietnamese government. How long did it take for the North Vietnamese to roll into Saigon and for us to fly the embassy staff out fleeing instead of fulfilling our promise to the Saigon government?
Negotiations are great if it’s between two rational actors. The Taliban are not rational or trustworthy and they have never been so. B ut, ya know, if all you’re looking for is a ten-second sound bite to use in the political campaign, the taliban will be more than willing to give you one while they’re making plans to stab you in the ass.
But then our only goal in that war these days is “withdrawal” not victory.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Terror War
You know, people always say that if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. What they fail to mention is that the inverse is true as well – if you have neither the knowledge nor the strength to use a hammer, you tend to put a lot of effort and imagination into convincing yourself and others that nails don’t need to be pounded.
Reminds me of the “Chain of Dogs.”
Why do we need peace talks with them? It’s not like they are an enemy. According to the veep.
“Negotiations are great if it’s between two rational actors. The Taliban are not rational or trustworthy and they have never been so.” I disagree, the Taliban has been very rational, not us, they have never acceded to anything and have no plans on doing so. That is because they believe they are winning.
The administration on the other hand keeps making gestures of good will hoping the enemy reciprocates. They simply have not and have no intention to and have stated this repeatedly. We have had some huge tactical/regional victories but all have been undercut by Obama’s arbitrary timeline. What incentive does Omar have for talks?
They simply keep throwing something, anything at the wall hoping it sticks. Hope is not a plan.