U.S. Mulls Talks With Taliban in Bid to Quell Afghan Unrest (Petraeus supports)

[underpants]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Gen. Petraeus Backs Effort to Win Over Some Elements of Group

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. is actively considering talks with elements of the Taliban, the armed Islamist group that once ruled Afghanistan and sheltered al Qaeda, in a major policy shift that would have been unthinkable a few months ago.

Senior White House and military officials believe that engaging some levels of the Taliban -- while excluding top leaders -- could help reverse a pronounced downward spiral in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. Both countries have been destabilized by a recent wave of violence.

The outreach is a draft recommendation in a classified White House assessment of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, according to senior Bush administration officials. The officials said that the recommendation calls for the talks to be led by the Afghan central government, but with the active participation of the U.S.

The final White House recommendations, which could differ from the draft, are not expected until after next month's elections. The next administration wouldn't be compelled to implement them. But the support of Gen. Petraeus, the highly regarded incoming head of the U.S. Central Command, could help ensure that the policy is put in place regardless of who wins next month's elections.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122515124350674269.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. OMG - Talking with Terrarists !

More republicon flip-floppery?

As ususal.

[DRoseDARs]

2. Dare we say, palling around with terrorists? n/t

[BlueCollar]

3. WTF?

No pre-conditions? Looking to hear McCain/Palin/Limbaugh/Hannity/O'Reilley et al spin this one...

[peacetalksforall]

4. Interesting. The Party of indignation against Axis of Evil and Playing Card

enemies and the Party who huffs and puffs and plants fear and hate in the hearts of know nothing citizens actually sits down and talks. A few weeks ago they were going to talk to Iran, we know they talked to No Korea, they talked to the Sunnis, they were at one time going to partner with the Taliban over oil, they had a partnership with Pakistan's President, and now they're going to talk to the Taliban again.

And Israel who has a fixation on Iran actually does business with Iran.

All you followers of huff and hate, puff and fear listen up. Your hero leaders are making deals all the time with the people they tell you to fear and hate.

It's better to think peace and think sharing of the planet then continuing to grow your hate and fear of planted propaganda to make you hate and fear more. Of course, some are for their own profits when it involves contracts.

So DON'T buy their game.

[Bragi]

5. This is good for Obama

Obama has made unwise campaign promises to increase troop strength to "win" this war, which is a really bad idea, because this war is an unwinnable quagmire. Just ask the Russians.

So anything that creates room for Obama to get out of this war is a good thing. Doing a PR job to pretend that the people who need to be negotiated with (i.e. the Taliban) are not really the Taliban, such as what is happening here, helps to set the stage.

- B

[Marrah_G]

6. These men are so willing to throw the women of Afghanistan back into a fate worse then slavery.

The Taliban needs to be wiped off the face of the earth, not coddled and allowed to multiply it's numbers.

It is a criminal organization that terrorizes its citizens and relegates women to a fate worse then most farm animals.

[LynnTheDem]

7. Think of all the lives -theirs and ours- that could have been saved

if the bush regime had heeded advice to TALK FIRST, rather than war first.

This is why war is supposed to be a last resort.

Stupid MFers.

[Solly Mack]

8. ...

...

[darkism]

9. So, back to square one then?

The last 7 years of endless war and countless deaths has led to...what we should've been doing all along.