Pakistan frees Taliban jihadis, expects U.S. to release more Taliban members from Gitmo

The idea is that the Taliban will respond to these gestures of good will by laying down their arms, ending the jihad and joining the "peace process." On the other hand, maybe these released jihadis will return to the jihad, while the Pakistanis who released them laugh up their sleeves at the endless naivete of the Americans.

Which scenario is more likely?

"Afghan peace process: 12 Taliban peace brokers may be taken off UN list," by Kamran Yousaf in The Express Tribune, November 19 (thanks to Lookmann):

Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States have identified nearly two dozen potential Taliban negotiators who are expected to be taken off the United Nations terror-list in a move that seeks to encourage insurgents to join the peace process.
This will be the second major step towards a political settlement of over a decade-long conflict in Afghanistan after Pakistan last week released at least 13 Taliban cadres from its jails.

According to official sources, the three countries have finalised the list of Taliban members for delisting from the UN sanctions list.

In the first phase, they will propose to the UN names of nearly two dozen Taliban members, who may play a crucial role in the Afghan endgame, sources added.

Names of these Taliban leaders have not been made public with one Pakistani official citing security reasons behind maintaining secrecy.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said removal of certain insurgents from the UN terror list would help restart the reconciliation process. “That is why we have supported this initiative,” he added.

More than 100 Taliban members were blacklisted for having ties with al Qaeda, which had been accused of masterminding the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

In early 2010, at least 15 of those Taliban cadres were removed from the list at the request of the Afghan government because they had either severed their links with the Taliban or had joined the Karzai administration.

But the latest efforts to remove more names are aimed at sending a message to the Taliban that all stakeholders are serious for peace negotiations.

In a jointed statement issued after the recent visit of a high-powered Afghan delegation led by Afghan High Peace Council Salauddin Rabbani to Pakistan, it listed a series of steps to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

One of them includes that all stakeholders — Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the US — work together to remove certain Taliban members from the UN terror list.

A trilateral meeting of what is known as core group will take place early next month to discuss the issue.

In addition to this, Pakistan also expects the US to free certain Taliban leaders from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in a bid to help revive the process.

“The ball is now in their court (Afghanistan and United States),” said a Pakistani official adding that Islamabad had played its part and now it was up to Kabul and Washington to take this initiative forward.

“Our understanding is that some positive movement is expected between the Taliban and the Americans on the issue of prisoners,” revealed the official.

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3 Comments

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Dsinc | November 19, 2012 12:54 AM | Reply

Laughing up their sleeves is more likely.

..., who may play a crucial role in the Afghan endgame, sources added.

Should read

....who may play a crucial role in the Muslim endgame, sources added.

vnbushman | November 19, 2012 1:24 AM | Reply

The Taliban, like their al-Qaida brothers, like all Islamic militants have the same ideology, motivation, and commitment. Their source or instructional manual is the Koran, the Hadith, and the Sira, or simply a cleric. These instructions have not changed in the last 1400 years.

Appeasing militants wont change this ideology at all. In fact it will encourage more of the same, because they will think we are weak and afraid. And therefor are giving in to their demands.

Once again,"the Taliban, like their al-Qaida brothers, like all Islamic militants have the same ideology, motivation, and commitment. Their source or instructional manual is the Koran, the Hadith, and the Sira, or simply a cleric. These instructions have not changed in the last 1400 years.

Appeasing militants wont change this ideology at all. In fact it will encourage more of the same, because they will think we are weak and afraid. And therefor are giving in to their demands."

Why can't our legislators get that.??

duh_swami | November 19, 2012 3:37 AM | Reply

Allah takes a dim view of quitters...Those who quit jihad will not get any virgins...

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