Afghanistan to pressure Pakistan to release more Taliban

The Associated Press reports that Afghanistan, still dreaming that peace is possible with the Taliban, is planning to ask Pakistan to release more of their Taliban prisoners in an attempt to attract the Taliban to the peace table;

The cooperation of Pakistan, which has longstanding ties to the Taliban, is seen as key to jumpstarting the stalled Afghan peace process that has made little headway since it began several years ago, hobbled by distrust among the major players, including the United States. The Afghan and U.S. governments accuse Islamabad of backing insurgents – an allegation Pakistan denies – and say many militant leaders are hiding in the country.

With Afghan presidential elections and the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops looming in 2014, Afghanistan and its international allies are trying to push a peace process with the Taliban to bring an end to the conflict.

Yeah, that’s because the Taliban have proven themselves to be such rational actors in the process. They shoot 14-year-old girls in the face, but they’re still going to respond favorably to gestures of negotiation.

The official said that those released, including some senior Taliban leaders, are believed to still be in Pakistan. Afghanistan hopes the freed militants will play a constructive role in the peace process, the official said, while acknowledging that it is too soon to know what role, if any, they will hold.

I guess the Afghans arent familiar with the term “pipe dreams”.

Category: Terror War