Taliban ready for peace talks with U.S.A.

[Valmy]

Then again the Taliban may not even bother with it, satisfied with the rest of the country.

The Taliban will not make much headway in the north where they have zero popular support.

[crazy canuck]

Anyway I say we do what we should have done back in 2001.  If the Taliban makes too many gains we can support the slightly less objectionable Afghans with airpower and special forces.  Never should have put boots on the ground in that place...ah well.

The problem is that is what was done at the beginning of the operation.  Quick history refresher.  The US and the rest of us depend on the Northern Alliance to deal with the Taliban with the exception of providing some air power and some special forces (including Canadians).

The lack of boots on the ground allows the Taliban to escape into Pakistan.

We live with the results of that decision for over a decade as the West sends increasing numbers of troops to deal with Taliban incursions from the border regions.

[derspiess]

There were already plenty of Taliban in Pakistan, and I'm not sure we'd have been able to provide enough boots to prevent the withdrawal.

[The Minsky Moment]

The Taliban are a renewable resource, so long as their educational infrastructure and Pakistani backing stay in place.

[Valmy]

The problem is that is what was done at the beginning of the operation.  Quick history refresher.  The US and the rest of us depend on the Northern Alliance to deal with the Taliban with the exception of providing some air power and some special forces (including Canadians).

The lack of boots on the ground allows the Taliban to escape into Pakistan.

We live with the results of that decision for over a decade as the West sends increasing numbers of troops to deal with Taliban incursions from the border regions.

LOL.  No the Taliban was already well set up in Pakistan, being where they came from and all.

[crazy canuck]

There were already plenty of Taliban in Pakistan, and I'm not sure we'd have been able to provide enough boots to prevent the withdrawal.

Maybe not entirely but it would have been more effective than 100 % withdrawal.

[Duque de Bragança]

After more than a decade, American troops are no longer looking to pick a fight with the Taliban. That's now the job of the Afghan army.

I predict: this will end well.

I wonder if Kabul will break Saigon's land speed record.

Then again the Taliban may not even bother with it, satisfied with the rest of the country.

Will Karzai or the next leader end up as Najibullah? He held for three years with some Soviet support all right but ended badly.
Declare Victory and Leave before it's too late?

[derspiess]

Will Karzai or the next leader end up as Najibullah? He held for three years with some Soviet support all right but ended badly.
Declare Victory and Leave before it's too late?

Karzai's no fool.  He & his cronies have built up a huge nest egg & will be on the first flight out of there to when things go to hell.

[DGuller]

I think we need to negotiate a peace treaty with Taliban that will cement our victory, coat all the helicopter skids in grease, and get the fuck out.

[Viking]

Who are these people? Do they speak for the Taliban? Do they speak for all the Afghan Taliban? Do they speak for all the Taliban? Will Pakistan just create a new Taliban if this one realizes that we just want them to be happy, rich and peaceful? Will this end the conflict? Can this end the conflict? Will Karzai screw up the peace process just to keep pilfering the 90% of his GDP which is foreign aid? When they say peace do they mean the same thing that we mean when we say peace? What will happen to the Hazara? What will happen to women's rights? What will happen to the girls schools? What will happen to development aid projects? What will happen to the opium trade? What will happen to pre-islamic cultural artifacts? Are they any pre-islamic cultural artifacts left? How will the Tajiks react? How will the rest of the Afghans react when they realize we don't want the Tajiks screwed over? Do we care is the Tajiks are screwed over?

.. and I'm just starting.

[mongers]

The Taliban are a renewable resource, so long as their educational infrastructure and Pakistani backing stay in place.

Yeah, and the policy of trying to bleed the North Vietnamese dry never worked either, though if I recall the casualties inflicted on them at one point were approaching half of the birth rate.   

[mongers]

After more than a decade, American troops are no longer looking to pick a fight with the Taliban. That's now the job of the Afghan army.

I predict: this will end well.

I wonder if Kabul will break Saigon's land speed record.

Then again the Taliban may not even bother with it, satisfied with the rest of the country.

Will Karzai or the next leader end up as Najibullah? He held for three years with some Soviet support all right but ended badly.
Declare Victory and Leave before it's too late?

We discussed this a year or so ago, can't find the thread, but I was of the opinion 18 months max. 

I happen to think Karzai is so corrupt that he'll be one of those leaders who'll flee with a 'plane load' of gold, rather than see it out to the bitter end like say Bashir al-Assad, who seems determined to fight. 

[Admiral Yi]

Yeah, and the policy of trying to bleed the North Vietnamese dry never worked either, though if I recall the casualties inflicted on them at one point were approaching half of the birth rate.   

This suggests that US policy in both Vietnam and in Afghanistan was "to bleed them dry," neither of which to my mind is accurate.

[DGuller]

Yeah, and the policy of trying to bleed the North Vietnamese dry never worked either, though if I recall the casualties inflicted on them at one point were approaching half of the birth rate.   

This suggests that US policy in both Vietnam and in Afghanistan was "to bleed them dry," neither of which to my mind is accurate.

The policy was to bleed us dry.

[mongers]

Yeah, and the policy of trying to bleed the North Vietnamese dry never worked either, though if I recall the casualties inflicted on them at one point were approaching half of the birth rate.   

This suggests that US policy in both Vietnam and in Afghanistan was "to bleed them dry," neither of which to my mind is accurate.

It doesn't.