Maybe Obama is hoping that those chimerical "moderate Taliban" of whom he is so fond will end up running these provinces, and give up their desire to win the rest. "Afghan Source: The U.S. Has Offered the Taliban Control in Return for Quiet," from MEMRI, November 22 (thanks to all who sent this in):
An Afghan source in Kabul reports that U.S. Ambassador in Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry is holding secret talks with Taliban elements headed by the movement's foreign minister, Ahmad Mutawakil, at a secret location in Kabul. According to the source, the U.S. has offered the Taliban control of the Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan, Kunar and Nuristan provinces in return for a halt to the Taliban missile attacks on U.S. bases.Source: Al-Watan (Saudi Arabia), November 22, 2009
See how well this worked in Pakistan?
Since they already have de-facto control over a large part of the country, we aren't offering them anything new.
Just a plea - please stop trying to kill us in our beds. The taliban will want something substantive in return, like US troops leaving the country. We should accomodate them, not because that is what they want, but because it would place the onus on the Karzai administration to defend itself. One Muslim group vying with another Muslim group for power in Afghanistan cannot be a bad thing for us. Let them turn their guns on each other.
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This undisguised desperation must have the Taliban licking their chops. They needn't agree...just wait out the infidels, who have no stomach for a protracted fight.
Meanwhile, Tanstaafl makes an excellent point, but what liberal politician understands the lessons of history...even very, very recent history?
That's the sad part. They (politicians) never seem to see anything but their upcoming election.
Oh right, that'll work.
Brilliant strategy, just like it was in Pakistan...
/sarc off.
Swat valley redux.
no deal.
Giving territory to terrorists, it did not work in Columbia when the Clinton Administration championed the concept. Come to think of it, it did not work in Chechnya when the Russian attempted it. Further, it has not worked in the West Bank and Gaza.
Given three points of evidence that such a policy does not work with terrorists, even non-Muslim terrorists, can the Obama Administrative cite any efforts of such a policy being successful?
can the Obama Administrative cite any efforts of such a policy being successful?
They are not looking for any long term success. They just want to tamp things down enough so they can affect a withdraw without slitting their political throats. The inevitable bloodbath and taliban takeover that will follow they will then blame on a corrupt Afgan government. Unfortunately too many of us will drink the kool-aide.