This appeasement and pandering has no business being in the Trump State Department. Drain the swamp, already.
“Top State Official: Taliban Jihadists Have ‘Legitimate Grievances,’” by Edwin Mora, Breitbart, March 9, 2018:
WASHINGTON, DC — The United States is willing to address the “legitimate grievances” of Afghan Taliban terrorists during peace negotiations, a top U.S. State Department of State (DOS) official told reporters.
During a press briefing this week, Alice G. Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary for DOS’ Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, said:
We believe that the intensified efforts under the South Asia strategy to put military pressure on the Taliban are important, that these military efforts help shape the conditions for talks and help to underscore that there is no military victory for the Taliban, that ultimately their legitimate grievances will have to be addressed at a negotiating table. We’d like to see them come to this table sooner rather than later.
She also acknowledged that Pakistan, an ally of the Afghan Taliban, has a significant role to play in the Afghan war peace process.
Wells also told reporters:
We believe that Pakistan can certainly help to facilitate talks and to take actions that will put pressure on and encourage the Taliban to move forward towards a politically negotiated settlement. And our engagement with Pakistan is on how we can work together, on how we can address Pakistan’s legitimate concerns and Afghanistan’s stability through a negotiated process as well.
Obviously, as Pakistani officials have underscored, they see a variety of issues, whether it’s border management or refugees or terrorism that emanates from ungoverned space in Afghanistan, as important issues, and we would agree that all of these need to be resolved during the course of a reconciliation process.
U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended an estimated $2 billion in security aid to Pakistan over Islamabad’s reluctance to take decisive action against the terrorists it harbors on its soil, namely the Afghan Taliban and their Haqqani Network allies who are fighting American troops and their allies in neighboring Afghanistan….
Cheer Bear Girl says
Donald Trump should fire this dhimmwit.
CRUSADER says
She’s certainly a DHIMMwit.
Yes, indeed!
Good call on that.
BC says
The statues destroyed, the schools destroyed, the murdered teachers, the girls who had acid thrown on them for daring to go to school, the raped women, the bombings, the women sitting begging because they are not allowed to work. Are these their grievances. The best way to deal with the Taliban is to get all their leaders together in a place and then arrest them for crimes against humanity.
J D S says
OPEN MOUTH INSERT FOOT…The words ” legitimate grievance” is bandied around like pass the salt. We see here a person that should not have been placed in this sensitive position…her boss needs to recall her quick before she causes more trouble
Joan Camara says
Why? Trump himself, has said he was open to an open political deal with the Taliban, back Aug of 2017!
Trump open to eventual political deal with Taliban
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Trump_open_to_eventual_political_deal_with_Taliban_999.html
Still making deals with muslims….still sending our men over to an unwinnable war in Afghanistan (when the soviets, left there after 10 years, we’ve been there, what? 16?)
And we have 800 of men in Niger, where 4 of them just died in the hands of Isis.
What doesn’t he take care of the many muslim training camps we have in this country? I have one in my state of SC.
Why doesn’t he stop the increase of our young children in many schools across our nation, from learning everything about Islam? Look up “Access Islam” for more about that!
We still have thousands of them coming in, under Trump’s watch, but all the news site, are reporting that it’s less than what Obummer brought it….but a little less in the thousands still coming in, is supposed to make me feel better??
Why doesn’t he take of our own back yard, and make America Great Again, like he said he would??
seabird says
Pakistan’s “legitimate concern” is that the Taliban seize Afghanistan where they can open more Saudi-financed Madrassas and make more Jihadi violence.
You’ve been screwed by your own “allies”- take that to your boss, sister.
PRCS says
Doubt that her understanding of “their legitimate grievance” and theirs are the same.
traci94 says
What the heck? Trump promised to drain the swamp, and he STILL hasn’t done it. That should have been first on his agenda. The Taliban has NO legitimate grievances; when will our leaders wise up? Unfortunately, probably when it’s too late.
StellaSaidSo says
The swamp is very deep and very wide and has been decades in the making. Trump has been in office for 14 months. Not even Hercules could have cleaned up such a mess in such a short time.
HugoHackenbush says
Fabulous reference! For those unfamiliar:
The fifth labour was to clean the stables of King Augeas. This assignment was intended to be both humiliating (rather than impressive, as the previous labours had been) and impossible, since the livestock were divinely healthy (and immortal) and therefore produced an enormous quantity of dung. The Augean /ɔːˈdʒiːən/ Stables had not been cleaned in over 30 years, and over 1,000 cattle lived there. However, Hercules succeeded by re-routing the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to wash out the filth.
gravenimage says
Right, Stella and Hugo. I got the reference.
Kenin says
traci94
Trump attended Fordham University. He is Jesuit trained and doing what they tell him to do. Remember how he said that he would lock up his cousin Hillary? Still waiting. He’s not going to drain the swamp.
Carolyne says
Donald Trump attended Fordham, a Catholic school, for only two years. He took his degree from Wharton Business College. He is not Catholic, he is a Protestant. He never said he would lock up Hillary Clinton, he said she should be locked up. She is not his cousin, although I assume that was meant to be a pun.
Perhaps since you so dislike Mr. Trump, you are Hillary Clinton’s cousin.
gravenimage says
Trump and Clinton are not cousins. This is as silly as the rest of this post.
LeftisruiningCanada says
I read somewhere that one of those genealogy websites placed them both being descended from a certain 14th century Lord in England. 19th cousins or something.
Most of us who post on this website are probably equally related!
Niemoller says
We can only imagine how this clueless State Dept. drone would “go native” serving in 1930’s Germany during Hitler’s lead-in to WWII. She’d probably fall all over Goebbels in his spiffy uniform. Me thinks she dreams of being in a Taliban harem.
No Fear says
Ditto. I was just about to write similar.
Guy Forester says
That is the history of the State Dept. insiders. FDR appointed many leftists that were friends of stalin, and when hitler and stalin became friends, they became friends with hitler, too. Tillerson should fire this person, but his lack of action speaks loudly. He is one of the swamp inhabitants in my opinion. State is full of career “diplomats” that have their own agenda. And remember, CIA is run by State.
StellaSaidSo says
State is brimming with swamp creatures, and has been for decades. Indeed, FDR’s chief adviser, Harry Hopkins, is thought by some historians to have been a Soviet spy.
Guy Forester says
He probably was not the only one.
b.a. freeman says
Guy, as U noted, she is probably a “career diplomat,” in other words, civil service. she cannot just be discharged, but she *could* be re-assigned – to an empty room without a computer or a phone. she should continue the rest of her civil service career there.
bet it won’t happen, though.
Guy Forester says
That was the problem that developed in State. FDR filled the appointee slots with leftists, who then hired more of the same into the civil service slots. I am sure the same occurred during the Clinton and Obama admins. A lot of damage can be done in 8 & 12 year reigns.
Indiana Tom says
“Top State Official: Taliban Jihadists Have ‘Legitimate Grievances,’”
Yeah, so do I and I can want with one hand and crap in the other and see which hand gets full fastest.
Alice G. Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary for DOS’ Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, most certainly did not get that position because of her brains. I suppose that is sexist, but this lady is mentally in outer space.
We believe that Pakistan can certainly help to facilitate talks and to take actions that will put pressure on and encourage the Taliban to move forward towards a politically negotiated settlement.
Yeah, you can want with one hand and crap in the other and see which hand gets full fastest.
JawsV says
Trump has turned out to be a big disappointment concerning Islam. He doesn’t understand it is the situation. His Muslim Ban “until we figure out what’s going on” demonstrates his lack of knowledge. It’s called Jihad, Islamic Jihad. That’s what’s going on.
gravenimage says
True, Jaws–still better than his predecessor, though.
CRUSADER says
Shows how infiltrated the Obama Admin became by the Muslim Brotherhood types.
http://www.UnderstandingTheThreat.com
Guy Forester says
Your tax dollars at work folks!
Since the Taliban and Al Qaeda were largely Paki IS projects, I doubt that we will accomplish anything useful with Pakistan. Since the Pakis also recently (as posted here on JW) said they would not work anymore with the US, it is not a good idea for us to continue working there.
I know that many good soldiers have put in serious effort to make Afghanistan workable. It is a failed state because most Afghans prefer their old tribal ways. Time to face facts, and leave. With the Pakis refusing to help, and since Afghanistan is landlocked, we need to go.
Pakistan is aligning itself with the PRC, probably to outflank India. That will be a short marriage since an Islamic state hooked with a commie state won’t work. The reds will not tolerate the pakis stirring up the uighurs or other muslim elements in China.
gravenimage says
Pakistan is no ally of ours.
Karen says
I could be wrong, but I’m reading it this way: ‘legitimate grievances (if they have any)’. I guess time will tell if we act as victors, or cave.
Lydia Church says
I’m afraid this sort of thing will only get worse.
I have seen so many on different sites wondering the same thing;
“why does Trump let this go on?” “why doesn’t he put a stop to this?”
“why hasn’t he done anything about this yet like he was going to?”
“why is this and that and such and such still going on, and happening this far into his term?”
etc. etc.
Those who put their trust in Trump will only be disappointed.
I’m not saying that he isn’t doing anything in the right direction.
But for the most part, it’s all following the globalist agenda.
Don’t hold your breath that this will change anytime soon.
Chris Malan says
Trump’s strongest suit is selling Donald Trump. He’s not fiscally responsible and will get the technically bankrupt USA still deeper into bankruptcy. Maybe he has a point – he was bankrupt and is still wealthy and even President of the USA. Maybe the USA can weather bankruptcy as well as Donald did. Who knows? Trump showed that bankruptcy is not to be feared. Unfortunately, Trump is not very intelligent. Still, he was a better choice than Hillary Clinton. But don’t expect much of him.
LeftisruiningCanada says
I disagree. Mr Trump’s strongest suit is to be found in his ability to send socialist Canadians into ill-informed apoplexy.
For this i will always be grateful to him.
Prebanian says
She should specify what the grievances are and whom they are against.
mortimer says
Alice G. Wells (principal deputy assistant secretary for DOS’ Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs) ASSUMES that she ‘knows’ that lack of MONEY and lack of OPPORTUNITY motivate the JIHADISTS, but studies have shown that most jihadists are WELL-OFF or at least FINACIALLY VERY COMFORTABLE and they most have VERY GOOD PROSPECTS in life for success.
The GRIEVANCE of the Koran is enough and many Muslims leaders have expressed it: MUSLIMS HATE KAFIRS ‘for the sake of Allah’.
Miss Wells, they would STILL hate us if we were insignificant and had no contact with them. THEY HATE KAFIRS ‘for the sake of Allah’. That is reason ENOUGH.
Chris Malan says
She’s a cutie. You cannot expect her to be intelligent, as well. If the dear Lord had wanted her to think he would have made her a man. After Monica Lewinski, all of you should know why cuties like her are appointed to lucrative jobs in government. Lighten up, she’s not equipped to say intelligent things. Just look at her photo and enjoy how she looks.
JawsV says
Are you serious? What kind of misogynist are you? All you’ve said is rubbish. You’re the one who’s not intelligent. Lighten up, you’re not equipped to think or say intelligent things. Go back to the 10th century!
LeftisruiningCanada says
Ever thought of ‘reverting’ to islam there Chris?
Carolyne says
I’m cute and my IQ is 140. What’s yours?
LeftisruiningCanada says
T-Shirt slogan
gravenimage says
+1
gravenimage says
Chris Malan wrote:
She’s a cutie. You cannot expect her to be intelligent, as well. If the dear Lord had wanted her to think he would have made her a man.
…………………..
Are you serious? What a tool.
Do you really believe that Rowan Williams is more intelligent than Pamela Geller? That Jeremy Corbyn is smarter than Ayaan Hirsi Ali?
It seems that you consider women “deficient in their intelligence”. Have I got a religion for you!
Baucent says
I suppose she has a degree in International Relations from some university, perhaps a Masters in conflict resolution and thinks she understands the Taliban. The truth is, they wouldn’t even sit down with her to negotiate anything, as in their eyes, as a woman she is an inferior being useful only for procreation and household chores. And if she is banking on any useful help from Pakistan, forget it, Pakistan is quite happy having an “ungoverned space” on it’s door step. Wise up lady.
AP says
The enemy with in the walls
Edward Cline says
I wonder how Wells would fare if she were dropped naked outside a mosque in Britain when prayers were finished? Maybe in a Pakistan neighborhood? She could experience the full Rotheram treatment. She’s such a doofus that if she were offered candy in exchange for a rape, she’d accept it.
JawsV says
Concerning your last sentence no I don’t think so. Rotten of you to say that.
Carolyne says
JawsV—I agree with you. Why do these men have to reference sex when they disagree with a woman?
JawsV says
I don’t know. Because they’re misogynist idiots?
gravenimage says
Agreed, Jaws and Carolyne.
There is no doubt that Alice Wells is a dhimmi fool, but there are plenty of men who are just as bad. This is not about gender.
The idea that she would be happy to be raped in exchange for candy is just grotesque.
Edward Cline is a solid Anti-Jihadist, and I respect his literary work–but his comments above are way off base.
Hogdude says
The United States of America has no use for the alleged religion of Islam. Their influence is to be minimized and eliminated if possible. Diversity here is not desireable.
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump is so intelligent that he will listen to the wisdom of the US military generals on many important subjects concerning Islamic terrorism. As for example, the very important topic of Afghanistan and the brutal and murderous Taliban. The US generals will inform the President that even the idea of having worthwhile, constructive “negotiations” with the Taliban is sheer folly. For the deceptive and disingenuous Taliban have proven many times over, by their own actions, that they are a ruthless, brutal vicious gang of thugs with no honor. So in any kind of “dialogue” the Taliban will speak the truth only when it happened to suite them. The rest of the time they will be speaking half-truths and also be outright lying. Likewise, the Taliban will keep their word in anything that they may happen to promise only and long as in fits into their agenda and no longer. So before engaging of the foolishness of attempting to have genuine “talks for a peace alliance” with Taliban, the officials of the current government would do well to heed the wisdom of Sun Tzu found in THE ART OF WAR. For it instructs “We cannot enter into an alliance neighboring’s princes, until we are acquainted with their designs.” To put this in a more updated and current way, it may be said that “We cannot enter into a peace alliance with the Taliban until we know the actual intentions and real schemes.”
gravenimage says
Dear Walter–with all respect–the idea that all US generals are savvy about the folly of trying to negotiate peace with Jihadists is, I’m afraid, overly optimistic:
“Top U.S. General in Afghanistan: Time to Negotiate ‘Peace Process’ with Taliban”
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/25/top-us-general-afghanistan-time-negotiate-peace-process-taliban/
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump is the Commander and chief in the Oval Office he does have the intelligence to heed the wisdom and knowledge of his military generals. They have advised and will further advise President Trump about how to handle the problem of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US military generals know that the brutal, cruel, and murderous jihadist/Muslims who compose the Taliban cannot be reasoned with. For the Taliban don’t care about nor are interested in or understand language that contains logic and reason. The only language that the Taliban will understand is the language of them being on the receiving end of many very strong powers of military might. As Thomas Jefferson has, so well, declared, “With every barbarous people…force is law.”
Walter Sieruk says
On television of FOX NEWS there was a top ranking US General who was interviewed and he spoke hopefully about the then ,at that time, incoming President- elect Donald Trump. This Top US general said that maybe Donald Trump will be more cooperative than President Obama had been in the subject of Afghanistan and how to defeat the terror jihad groups as the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other similar entities that threaten the US interest in the country as well a the security and safety of Afghanistan as well. For Obama has kept on refusing the take the advice on the US military general regarding how to handle the security and safety of Afghanistan. What folly .What foolishness. Such a pride -filled and arrogant Obama who is always contradicting, or bucking, the advice of the US generals had only led to disaster. Donald Trump has the good sense to heed the US generals regarding Afghanistan. As the wisdom found in the book THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu instructs “He will win who has the military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.”
Carolyne says
Mr. Sieruk, I agree with you. It is impossible for Mr. Trump to solve all problems in the one year he has been in office and I see that he has a lot of “Fair weather friends” here. I have also heard and read that Mr. Trump does listen to those who have experience in warfare and I totally trust him.
LeftisruiningCanada says
Hope what you say is the case Mr Sieruk.
On the other hand, could it worse than having obama as your CIC?
gravenimage says
Top State Department official: Taliban jihadis have “legitimate grievances”
……………………
Their “legitimate grievances” include not having been able to continue their genocide against the Shia Hazara or stoning women to death in Kabul’s soccer stadium. Oh, the humanity!
LeftisruiningCanada says
Yes, it must really erk them.
I’m sure the EU Parliament will be eager to debase the population of Europe a little more to help set things right.
Probably the current US administration will show a little more sense.