Talk to Taliban, Miliband urges

[Heidi]

Source: BBC

David Miliband has called for a change of emphasis in strategy in Afghanistan, urging the country's government to talk to moderate members of the Taliban.

In a speech to Nato, the foreign secretary said a political coalition, including current insurgents, must be built to secure Afghanistan's future.

Those now fighting UK and US troops who were willing to renounce violence should be reintegrated into society.

<snip>

July has been the deadliest month for the UK and Nato since operations began.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8169789.stm

[No Elephants]

1. So, we're fighting in Afghanistan to legitimize the Taliban in the eyes of the world?

They were ruling Afghanistan before we got there. And they're already in charge now.

And we fight in Iraq to make sure the country is more Muslim than it was under Saddam, meaning no real rights for women. Our female and male troops are fighting to legitimize that.

Please, God, make it end.

[Bragi]

4. Not really

The U.S. is fighting in Afghanistan because Bush made the mistake of occupying the country as part of his misguided campaign to capture bin Laden, and because Obama failed to end this war when he should have done so.

The Taliban and their ilk have been ruling in Aghanistan for about 200 years now, so didn't need a U.S. invasion to be "legitimized" locally in this regard.

Having said that, the invasion and occupation has helped them gain new legitimacy throughout the Muslim world, of course.

[InfiniteThoughts]

2. if he is future PM material, God save the queen

As UK's foreign secy, Miliband should be considered a disaster. Among his achievements in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks:

* declaring there was no such thing "as the war on terror" in the Taj Hotel in Mumbai where dozens of innocent people were killed in a hail of machine gun bullets by terrorists?
* Resolve Kashmir else India should expect these terrorists attacks

And now this!

Mr. Miliband - let me refresh your memory. Taliban has harbored OBL who masterminded and attacked US on 9/11. There is no place for Taliban and their militant religious rhteroric in the 21st century because they don't believe we all can coexist peacefully! Grow a spine and exterminate the group that caused one of the largest terror attacks in 21st century!

[Bragi]

3. Time to update yourself

OBL has been gone from Afghanistan for about 7 years now; the Taliban were prepared to give up OBL in 2001, but Bush preferred an attack and occupation to please his revenge-minded base; the Taliban and their ilk have been in control of Afghanistan for about the last 200 years, and aren't going anywhere; and most importantly, the Taliban are not al Qaeda.

Factor those considerations into your thinking, and it becomes clear why this war is going nowhere, and will go nowhere. The U.S. needs to leave Afghanistan and let the U.N. take over the situation.

- B