Afghanistan’s President Karzai is infuriated over secret British negotiations with the Taliban which were designed to win over thousands in an effort to break the back of the militant opposition. The British had developed a plan entitled, “European Union Peace Building Programme” which involved building a camp for thousands of Taliban fighters and developing economic reconstruction projects to help develop the area around Helmand where the British have been fighting. The British claim President Karzai was kept informed of their discussions but he insists it was done behind his back. A few weeks ago, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, “we will not enter into any negotiatin with these people.”
Finally, a bit of creative thinking on the part of the British, and President Karzai apparently is upset. He, along with the Bush adminstration, believes the way to handle militants is bombing and fighting rather than provide economic inducements to get them back into the mainstream of participating in building their nation. Karzai has bought into the Bush plan of having planes drop bombs which invariably wind up killing a few militants and many civilians. We need secret negotiation with the Taliban and we need to win them over with efforts to provide jobs and work projects.
2 responses so far ↓
1 journeyer58 // Feb 4, 2008 at 6:22 pm
As has been so cogently stated before, “you do not negotiate with friends but with enemies.” Bush and Co. do not understand the first thing about diplomatic relations and the diplomatic “game” that is played out in international relations. As for the British, there are some members of the NuLabor government, that have some understanding of the idea that diplomacy is the only option left in a world filled with hatred and mistrust. Should the members of the Bush and Co. cabinet now start diplomatic overtures towards the Taleban and other groups that we are at “war” with, I would be most shocked and disturbed that they were not following the Neo-Con world view and deciding that talking to one’s enemies can in the end make them friends.
There must be a time that we engage with frank and open discussion, the movements of Hamas, Hezbollah, the nations of Syria and Iran, China and Burma, and all others that we need to set our relations right, because of the hideous and absolute mess that the Decider and Darth Vader have catapulted this country into. The next president has much to work against, there will be no shortage of dissent from the Security Council and all other international bodies that we were truly members of and as of now have little or no standing in because of the disastrous and abominable policies that have made this administration so unpopular and despised throughout the world.
2 Fred Stopsky // Feb 4, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Thanks you for perceptive and analytical comments.
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