Article

2010-01-20 Afghanistan

Reconciliation with Taliban Unlikely: Gates

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2010-01-20 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top
File under: Taliban

#1 "'Just speaking personally, I'd be very surprised to see a reconciliation with Mullah Omar,' Gates told reporters..."

Just speaking personally? Just speaking personally?! Does he mean that other members of the administration think reconciliation with Mullah Omar is possible??

Posted by American Delight 2010-01-20 00:12|| http://moneyjihad.wordpress.com/ 2010-01-20 00:12|| Front Page Top

#2 Secretary Gates probably should have said, "In my opinion," instead, American Delight, in order to avoid just that reaction. On the other hand, President Obama may still think exactly that, if only he could talk to Mullah Omar, man to man.

Posted by trailing wife 2010-01-20 08:13|| 2010-01-20 08:13|| Front Page Top

"These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate."
George W. Bush, Statement To Joint Session Of Congress September 20th 2001

"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. "
George W. Bush, September 11th 2001

The quotes above provided the original rationale for the intervention in Afghanistan, which I supported:
Surgical retaliation for 9/11; hunting down and killing the Taliban to restore western deterrence (as opposed to indiscriminate retaliation against Afghanistan as a nation).

If that was still the political objective Gates would warn the Afghan government that reconciliation with the Taliban would put them into NATO's crosshairs.

Apparently the new goal is appeasing the Taliban by making them rulers of Afghanistan again, only this time they would be subsidized by western taxpayers.

The question is: Why would any potential state sponsor of anti-western terrorism need to fear the consequences of their behavior, given that the Taliban's sponsorship of 9/11 is going to yield a net benefit for the Taliban?

Posted by Greart Sproing7365 2010-01-20 09:26|| 2010-01-20 09:26|| Front Page Top

#4 President Obama may still think exactly that, if only he could talk to Mullah Omar, man to man.

If Ostupid is really that dumb. let him, then we won't be tormented as he cannot serve the rest of his term of office dead or captured.

Not disparaging the Secret Service, but no matter how many agents they have and can send, there are millions of Muslim terrorists, they'd simply be overwhelmed.

Then Ostupid would have a wake-up call whether or not we tried to rescue him later.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2010-01-20 13:12|| 2010-01-20 13:12|| Front Page Top

#5 I think the idea was to peel off those going a-jihadi for the money or from lack of opportunity from the true believers, Greart Sproing7365. After all, it worked in Iraq, where the Sunni Awakening was coupled with Coalition boots on the ground.

Posted by trailing wife 2010-01-20 13:53|| 2010-01-20 13:53|| Front Page Top

23:46 JosephMendiola
23:43 JosephMendiola
23:38 trailing wife
23:35 JosephMendiola
23:32 JosephMendiola
23:28 twobyfour
23:27 JosephMendiola
23:22 DarthVader
23:20 twobyfour
23:17 Sholet McCoy1852
23:13 trailing wife
23:08 trailing wife
23:07 twobyfour
23:04 rwv
23:01 trailing wife
22:54 OldSpook
22:49 Barbara Skolaut
22:47 trailing wife
22:28 Pappy
22:27 Whiskey Mike
22:18 JosephMendiola
22:14 Redneck Jim
22:13 trailing wife
22:12 JosephMendiola