A stunning show of idiocy. Dialogue? with a jihadist group that murders wantonly and commits the most atrocious human rights abuses? Shame on the UK for aiding in the legitimization of the Taliban, and for taking the Taliban at its word. Jihadists cannot be assumed to be telling the truth to the infidels they despise.
“At a press conference in the Qatari capital, Doha, after meeting the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Raab said a ‘direct engagement’ was required with the Taliban.” This is no problem for Qatar — one of the primary supporting countries of the Muslim Brotherhood, and also longtime allies with the Taliban.
Some other observations that Dominic Raab has missed: The Taliban has been flogging people in streets for wearing “Westernized” clothing, accusing them of “disrespecting Islam,” cut a gay man into pieces to “show what they do with gay people,” have been murdering women for not wearing the burqa, killing people door-to-door, forcibly marrying girls as young as 12, and forcing them into sex slavery.
Raab already committed to doubling aid to Afghanistan to boost a “moderate” and “inclusive” Taliban, even though the Taliban has vowed jihad against the whole world.
The Taliban is now assembling clerics to rule their regime — a regime that looks like Iran, with Supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada at the head.
“UK will not recognise Taliban but sees scope for dialogue,” Al Jazeera, September 2, 2021:
The United Kingdom will not recognise the Taliban but sees scope for dialogue, the British foreign secretary has said, adding that he is monitoring closely whether the hardline group lives up to its promises to maintain peace.
During a diplomatic mission to Qatar to ensure the safe passage of the Britons and Afghans left behind, Dominic Raab said on Thursday that he was attempting to build a regional coalition to “exert the maximum moderating influence” on the Taliban as they “adjust to the new reality” of the group in power.
The Taliban shocked Western leaders and observers with its rapid advance ahead of the American pullout on August 31.
Within hours of taking control of Afghanistan on August 15, a chaotic race began among global powers to evacuate foreigners and Afghan collaborators as many feared the Taliban would not honour pledges that it would not seek retribution.
At a press conference in the Qatari capital, Doha, after meeting the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Raab said a “direct engagement” was required with the Taliban.
“The reality is we will not be recognising the Taliban any time in the foreseeable future but I think there is an important scope for engagement and dialogue,” he said.
Thousands of Afghans who helped British efforts in the nation and their relatives are feared to have been left behind when the RAF departed Kabul ahead of the United States’s end of August deadline for withdrawal.
At Raab’s side, Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said he was “hopeful” that Kabul airport will reopen soon, with the Gulf state seen as key to progress as it has maintained close relations with the Taliban.
The reopening of Hamid Karzai International Airport would allow for a greater scale of evacuations from Afghanistan, with those trying to flee the Taliban currently being told to cross into neighbouring countries.
“There is no clear indication when it is going to be fully operational yet but we are working very hard and also engaging with the Taliban to identify what are the gaps and the risks for having the airport back up and running,” the minister said.
“We will remain hopeful that we will be able to operate it as soon as possible.”
During the trip, Raab is also expected to visit Pakistan, which crucially shares a land border with Afghanistan and is home to more than a million Afghan refugees. Thousands are crossing into Pakistan each day, following the Taliban’s takeover.
Raab said Qatar was a “linchpin” in dealing with the crisis going forward as he seeks to get “wider buy-in” to the diplomatic efforts.
“I think above all we need to put a grouping together that can exert the maximum moderating influence on what the Taliban does next and we will certainly be judging them, yes on their words, but more importantly what they do to live up to the assurances they’ve made,” he added.
But Raab remains under fire over his handling of the crisis, after telling MPs intelligence was to blame for the UK being caught out by the speed of the Taliban takeover last month.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace struck back at Mr Raab’s assertion, telling the Spectator magazine “it’s not about failure of intelligence, it’s about the limits of intelligence”.
Wallace also said he was arguing back in July that “the game is up” and Britain should be accelerating its efforts in Afghanistan.
“It was a bit of a shock when Herat fell. Some of these big places had historically been resistant to the Taliban. When they fell, literally without a fight, I think the game was up,” he said in the interview….
Eva says
And to think that this country once stood alone against the nazi’s…
Countless politicians have made a mockery of the sacrifices of those brave men and women, the deaths and appalling injuries suffered at home and on the battlefield, but this government and its opposition, must now be held as one of the most shameful.
It’s import and appeasement of terrorists, it’s perpetual stance of non-protection of its own people, it’s cowardice in the face of globalisation, identity politics, toxic feminism, the indoctrination of children in our schools, and jihadi rape gangs, to name but a few, shows clearly how deep the corruption of our so called ‘leaders’ has become.
They all need to be removed, if we are going to survive.
mortimer says
Quote: “Dominic Raab said on Thursday that he was attempting to build a regional coalition to “exert the maximum moderating influence””
Dominc Raab’s words are a joke! The only ‘regional coalition’ is between the Taliban and treacherous Pakistan … the reason why we have this mess.
They do not listen to reason because they are high as a kite on ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM.
The only response is to re-invade the country and bring back the government of Ghani. It’s MUCH preferable to the Taliban.
gravenimage says
Here’s the witless Dominic Raab babbling about the “Holy month of Ramadan”.
https://twitter.com/dominicraab/status/1125103674387238912?lang=en
On this same Twitter feed he claims that Pakistan is an ally. Just a twit.
But Mortimer, your constant claims that the US or NATO have to go back into Afghanistan makes no sense. You have never said why more westerners have to die to support a government–such as it was–that put stoning back on the books.
Ecosse1314 says
I am afraid that no amount of repetition will make your hopes come true. No country ,whether the US the UK or any other Western power ,would commit the lives of its soldeirs or indeed its money into bottomless pit of that hell hole of a country.
gravenimage says
UK says it won’t recognize Taliban but ‘sees scope for dialogue’
……………..
Is it the Taliban’s setting a woman on fire for “bad cooking” that convinced the UK to “dialog” with the Taliban? How about their going door to door seizing girls as young as 12 to use as sex slaves? Perhaps it was their holding Ametrican hostage at the airport?
As Buraq would say, “Clowns”!
OLD GUY says
Political leaders are blinded by their own self worth and importance. The true colors of islam and the Taliban are apparent in their actions of murder, rape and violent criminal actions. But let’s sit down and talk over tea, right.
James Lincoln says
OLD GUY,
In the UK, at least Lord Pearson has *tried* to talk about islam in the House of Lords:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCb-xyygtBw