The U.S. agreed to the idea earlier last year. The third-country presence carries the risk of giving the Taliban an undeserved veneer of legitimacy, giving it the opportunity to buy time on the battlefield by going through the motions, and engage in blackmail over quitting negotiations. It also threatens the evolution of a Hizballah-like Taliban that joins the political process, but will not disarm.
Note also the continued talk of "trust-building" that involves "assurances" from the Taliban in exchange for concrete, risky concessions from the U.S. This is the first mention of a possible prisoner exchange for the abducted soldier Bowe Bergdahl, though it is not clear how seriously that is under discussion.
"Taliban strike deal with Qatar on office there," by Patrick Quinn and Rahim Faiez for the Associated Press, January 3:
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan Taliban said Tuesday that they have reached a preliminary deal with the Gulf state of Qatar to open a liaison office there, in what could be a step toward formal, substantive peace talks to end more than a decade of war.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid indicated the liaison office will conduct negotiations with the international community but not with the Afghan government — a condition that President Hamid Karzai has indicated he would reject. Mujahid did not say when it would open.
The reported progress came as three bomb blasts hit Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, killing 13.
For the United States and its allies, the idea of a Taliban political office in the Qatari capital of Doha has become the central element in efforts to draw the insurgents into peace talks.
"Right now, having a strong presence in Afghanistan, we still want to have a political office for negotiations," said Mujahid. "In this regard, we have started preliminary talks and we have reached a preliminary understanding with relevant sides, including the government of Qatar, to have a political office for negotiations with the international community."
Mujahid's emailed statement also said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — the name of Afghanistan under Taliban rule — has "requested for the exchange of prisoners from Guantanamo."
He was referring to a Taliban demand that the U.S. military release about five Afghan prisoners believed to be affiliated with the Taliban from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The Taliban are holding Bowe Bergdahl, a 25-year-old U.S. Army sergeant from Hailey, Idaho, who is the only U.S. soldier held by the insurgents. He was taken prisoner June 30, 2009, in Afghanistan.
From the American perspective, other trust-building measures would involve assurances that the insurgents cut ties with al-Qaida, accept the elected civilian government of Afghanistan and bargain in good faith...
Of course they'll promise to bargain in good faith.
Aren't we back to year 2001 the reason we started this war? Talibans roaming around in Afghanstan making everyone's life a misery. Al-Quada join hands for more daring operations. Next time around they may use those WMD. Pakistanis will be gloating and roaming in Afghanstan with the chest thumping pride.
Where are we? - We are several trillion dollars in debt.
what they lost? - ... they had nothing, they lost nothing, they want nothing to do with us.
What we lost? - 2765 braves lost their lives for 'not much'; several trillion dollars down and still counting; dignity; respect; trust
That is how I see the sum game.
Thank you Mr. President Obama and Hillary. You real are the best possible cut that produced these results. Anyone who votes them in again is a real traitor.
Meanwhile, they're pleading with the Pakistan Taliban for ... more fighters!
And what does the book of hate say about truces and negotiation? Basically that you can have a truce with somebody who is stronger than you thus allowing you to rebuild your forces until you are in a strong enough position to break that truce when it suits you. You can't bargain with these people, period.
Pandora opens another box in Qatar!
Yes, Qatar will give Al Qaeda free run at Islamic AL JAZEERA TV in Doha,
a TV station admired already by Ms Clinton for its pro-Muslim Brotherhood,
pro-Hizbollah, anti-Israel political propaganda.
Let me get this straight....the Taliban are allowed to open a political office abroad that will serve as a conduit for communication to the outside world and confer recognition upon it as an organization...and Obama perceives this as a diplomatic VICTORY???!!!
"KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan Taliban said Tuesday that they have reached a preliminary deal with the Gulf state of Qatar to open a liaison office there, in what could be a step toward formal, substantive peace talks to end more than a decade of war".
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I can see the shingle above the front door now it reads,
"Make peace not war".
The problem is that sign comes down at sundown and a new sign is put in place. It reads, "Kill the kaffirs where ever you find them".
Once they're all set up in their building maybe someone might hijack a plane and fly into it? lol
Yeah, you could call a building like that a target-rich environment.
And just as in Iraq, it might well be their own ever-lovin' Muslim bros doing the bombing.