U.S. proposes interim power-sharing government with Taliban in Afghanistan

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Worried that Afghan peace talks are going nowhere, and facing a May 1 deadline for the possible withdrawal of all U.S. troops, the Biden administration has proposed sweeping plans for an interim power-sharing government between the Taliban and Afghan leaders, and stepped-up involvement by Afghanistan’s neighbors — including Iran — in the peace process.

Along with the proposal, shared with both sides over the past week by U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that a U.S. departure remains under active consideration and could lead to “rapid territorial gains” by the Taliban.

“I am making this clear to you so that you understand the urgency of my tone,” Blinken wrote in a three-page letter to Ghani sent to coincide with the proposal.

Biden administration officials refused to confirm or deny the specifics of the interim plan or the Blinken letter. “As a general matter, we do not comment on alleged correspondence with foreign leaders,” a State Department spokesperson said.

-snip-

By Karen DeYoung
March 8, 2021 at 3:18 a.m. EST


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/us-afghan-letter-peace-talks/2021/03/07/c30ef2c2-7f75-11eb-9ca6-54e187ee4939_story.html

[Archae]

1. This would be a mistake.

The Taliban would seize power again, and put into place their religious and social dictatorship again.

[Steelrolled]

6. We have to leave nations determine their own future.

So many people around the world rue the day when "democracy" arrived in their country.

[Archae]

7. Except the Taliban wants really badly to export their terror.

If they kept their viewpoints in their countries, ok.

But they are all too eager to export their terrorism.

[bullimiami]

11. We so often have not gone in to help but to push an agenda and exploit.

[IA8IT]

2. Power sharing with brain cancer. Forget it.

[Miguelito Loveless]

3. Would this be the same Taliban

that we invaded Afghanistan to overthrow?

[Lulu KC]

4. Made even worse by another of DT's dreadful legacies

Last edited Mon Mar 8, 2021, 05:26 PM - Edit history (1)

I found this article informative and compelling, if you can get past the paywall. There was so much going on last year that I had not paid very close attention to T's negotiations with the Taliban. This is a total set-up that Joe and team will have to clean up the best they can.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/08/last-exit-from-afghanistan

[GentleAlien]

8. It's also GWB's legacy

He bungled it big time. Obama inherited it but it was already unfixable. Btw DT dropped more ammo on Afghanistan in 2019 than in any previous year, but Taliban seems to have survived all this!

It seems that we are in a hurry to take on China, hence we are moving out of the region west of it.

[Steelrolled]

14. Yeah, I feel every administration along the way put their "legacy"

above accepting reality and doing the right thing. They feared being the president that lost the war, just like LBJ did with Vietnam. And in my view, a part of the Bush's, Obama's, and Trump's legacy is their failure in not facing it head on.

[Lulu KC]

15. yes--of course

This article goes into the more recent developments and how DT's final steps made things a lot worse for his successor. Here's an NPR interview with the author if you're interested.

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/04/973604904/trumps-deal-to-end-war-in-afghanistan-leaves-biden-with-a-terrible-situation

[Steelrolled]

5. Reminds me a little of the Vietnam deals

and the result is inevitable.

It is unwinnable. Declare it "peace with honor", and then leave and don't look back. It only took Russia 10 years to figure this out. We are nearing 20 years.

Hopefully Biden sees the reality and pushes back hard on the generals. They are not his boss - there is a reason we have civilian control over the military.

[Martin68]

9. I think I'm having a deja vu. Sounds like Vietnam all over again.

[packman]

10. Ronnie meeting with the Taliban - How'd that turn out?

[EX500rider]

17. The Taliban was founded 9 years after that photo. Those are Mujahedeen. nt

[packman]

18. Thanks for the correction

[Politicub]

12. This sounds like it is a legitimization of the Taliban. But

with that being said, I don't know how the U.S. could keep the Taliban from assuming power. After 20 years, the Taliban's momentum has only been slowed -- never stopped.

How many American bodies should be thrown at the problem? More than 2,000 American service members have died in Afghanistan since 2001.

I wish there were a way to bring women and other targeted groups out of the country and into the U.S. as refugees. It isn't a perfect solution, but nothing is perfect.

[Lulu KC]

16. It might be the only way to save lots of people

Giant mess.

[EX500rider]

19. They actually aren't very popular with the majority of Afghans.

The Taliban is made up of southern Pashtuns who are only 40% of the population, the other 60% of Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Turkmen etc are not fans.
The Taliban have only been able to survive via drug money and Pakistan help neither which have made them any more popular.

[msongs]

13. one suspects taliban will never honor an agreement...ever nt