Yeah, turns out they are the PEOPLE who LIVE THERE and are tired of having the NATO BOOT on their necks because of a British line drawn through the mountains.
"UN seeks to take Taliban officials off terror list; Move could spur talks with Afghans" by Dexter Filkins, New York Times | January 25, 2010
KABUL, Afghanistan - The leader of the United Nations mission here called on Afghan officials to seek the removal of at least some senior Taliban leaders from the United Nations’ list of terrorists, as a first step toward opening direct negotiations with the insurgent group.
Finally, finally!!! I'LL TAKE ANYTHING I CAN GET at his point, so TALK, TALK, LET'S TALK!!!
In an interview, Kai Eide, the United Nations special representative, also implored the American military to speed its review of the roughly 750 detainees held in its military prisons here - another principal grievance of Taliban leaders. Until late last year, the Americans were holding those prisoners at a makeshift detention center at Bagram Air Base and refusing to release their names.
They don't like their relatives being tortured; would you?
Together, Eide said he hoped that the two steps would eventually open the way to face-to-face talks between Afghan officials and Taliban leaders, many of whom are hiding in Pakistan. The two sides have been at an impasse for years over almost every fundamental issue, including the issue of talking itself. “If you want relevant results, then you have to talk to the relevant person in authority,’’ Eide said. “I think the time has come to do it.’’
Translation: WE HAVE LOST in Afghanistan, readers! The U.N. ADMITS IT!!!
*****************
In recent days, Afghan and American officials have signaled their readiness to take some steps that might ultimately lead to direct negotiations with the Taliban, including striking the names of some Taliban leaders from the terrorist list. Last week, Richard Holbrooke, the American envoy to the region, showed some willingness to allow some Taliban names to be taken off the list as long as they are not senior commanders responsible for atrocities or associated with Al Qaeda....
Hey, that is from pretty high up in the food chain.
Btw, WHAT ABOUT OUR ATROCITIES, "Dick!?"
The remarks by Eide, who will leave his post here in March, were the latest in a series of Afghan and Western efforts to engage the Taliban movement with diplomatic and political means, even as a new American-led military effort was under way here.
Oh, so we are double-gaming them again?
Why not STOP KILLING THEM FIRST even before wanting to talk, 'eh?
American, Afghan, and NATO leaders are also preparing to start an ambitious program to persuade rank-and-file Taliban fighters to give up in exchange for schooling and jobs. That plan, expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, will be the focus of an international conference later this week in London. The plan aims at the foot soldiers who are widely perceived as mostly poor, illiterate, and susceptible to promises of money and jobs. In 2007 and 2008, a similar effort unfolded in Iraq, where some 30,000 members of the country’s Sunni minority - many of them former insurgents - were put on the American payroll.
Oh, yeah, the Iraq failure is going to work in a much more difficult area, yup.
Related: What's in a Surge?
Let's get out now, America, and stop killing innocent people over a crock full of lies!?
Eide said that in Afghanistan, such efforts at reintegration, while useful, would not be enough. While some rank-and-file Taliban soldiers might be fighting for economic reasons, he said, the motives of most were more complex. The Taliban’s leaders exert more control over the foot soldiers than they are given credit for, he said....
Yeah, AT SOME POINT you realize it is an INDIGENOUS "insurgency" that simply WISHES TO BE LEFT ALONE by OCCUPYING OUTSIDERS and IT'S WAR MACHINES.
Unfortunately, the VALUABLE TURF is in a GEO-STRATEGIC LOCATION, and thus the missiles fall.
In the past, talks between the Afghan government and the insurgents have foundered on a few core issues.
You know, I always heard about talks, but somehow the suiciders and the terrorists always overtake my AmeriKan MSM.
Afghan leaders have demanded that the Taliban forswear violence and their association with Al Qaeda before talks can begin.
Look, I don't want to get started on "Al-CIA-Duh" again today, 'kay?
And as for the forswearing of violence, WHEN are the U.S. and ISRAEL going to do that, huh? Until WE TAKE the VOW, why should anyone else?
I mean, WE are the INVADERS!! WE are the AGGRESSORS!!!!
Shouldn't WE be the ones to FORSWEAR MURDER FIRST?
For their part, the Taliban have demanded that the Americans and other foreign forces leave the country first.
Oh, well, non-starter there. In fact, we are sending more!!
Of course, the AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT THAT SO BADLY as well -- which means our s***hole government and newspapers will ignore us.
But some Taliban leaders have indicated that they might be willing to engage in some sort of discussions if their names were stricken from the United Nations’ so-called “black list.’’ The list contains the names of 144 Taliban leaders, including Mullah Mohammed Omar, the movement’s leader, as well as 257 from Al Qaeda....
Yeah, about him: Pashtun History Lesson
The Mystery Man of the Taliban
We don't need them to do it to us, America.
We have war-promoting newspapers to do that.
NATO’s International Security Assistance Force reported that three Americans were killed yesterday by improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, and that two more Americans died on Saturday, also from roadside bombs.
So HOW MANY MORE LIVES are you going to THROW AWAY on this FOOL'S ERRAND, America? U.N. SAYS IT'S OVER!!!!!!!
Also yesterday, Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission said it would delay the country’s parliamentary election by four months, citing a lack of money, logistical challenges, and the continuing violence in the country.
Translation: We need a bit longer to rig the machines.
The postponement was welcomed by international organizations and Western governments, which had been urging Afghanistan to delay the vote until reforms in its election procedures had been approved and carried out. The election, which had been scheduled for May 22, will now take place Sept. 18, said Fazil Ahmad Manawi, a member of the election commission....
Obviously, you see how much I care for elections and politics these days -- anyone's anywhere.
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