The Taliban has recently had a change of heart, and has agreed to talk to the Afghan government to end the war. Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has often times said that he is willing to talk to insurgents if they "renounce violence, sever ties to terrorists and embrace the Afghan constitution." I don't think he's asking for too much, but I don't think the Taliban will agree to all of Karzai's demands or even a few of them. According to General David Petraeus, reconciling with the Taliban is being pursued by the Afghan government at very high levels. The Afghan government has a 70 member peace council to reconcile with the Taliban. Hopefully something good will come out of this, but I am very doubtful. If it does happen to be successful, I'll be very happy! I think the world needs some peace!
Do you guys think this talk will be successful? Do you think the Afghan government is taking the right steps? Also, do you guys think that Karzai's demands are too much? Why do you think it's taken so long for the Afghan government to finally talk to the Taliban?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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3 comments:
To be honest I am very wary of any "peace talks" taking place. The "Afghan Government" (i.e. the U.S. controlling Afghan domestic policy) has been for years, trying to reach a "compromise" with the Taliban, and what could have prompted such an unexpected maneuver... I still wonder? Additionally, I don't believe that the "Karzai Government" will have any control over these negotiations because it seems to me that Karzai has always hinted that he supports the Taliban, but with his country under U.S. occupation he can hardly express these sentiments. Any attempt to appease a radical group such as the Taliban is futile as their only motive is to regain control of the country in order to reinstate their male chauvinist leaders whose only aim is to defeat the "Great Satan".
Afghanistan has recently become a modern day battlefield, but its people have always been taken advantage of. The geography of the region is not very good and the many people have little or no education. Crime and discrimination runs wild with bribery being the law of the land more than any government. Many have said that the Afghan government only has control of Kabul (the capital city), while the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and the tribes dominate more of the minds. Therefore, I feel that these talks are just a political show to make it look like the Afghan government is making progress. Of course, many of the Taliban soldiers are weary of fighting and many are conscripted, but there is too much corruption. President Karzai to many is a very corrupt leader who seems to only take his own demands into account, but in the end it is a step in the right direction. Afghanistan is a country where everything takes a long time, so I am surprised that the two parties are actually willing to come to the bargaining table. In the end, I do not think this is going to change much as many of the extremists still believe that President Karzai is a puppet of the "infidels".
I think that the afghan government and the Taliban having peace talks is a good thing. I have to agree with what Jonathan Luo said that the government does not have much control over the country and the Taliban has control of many civilans mentally. there for even if peaces talks did happen, it would not do much since the taliban would still have a strong presence in afghan. there fore in the end i feel that peace talks would not have such a great effect but it would still have a somewhat effect.
Vernon Wong
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