Afghanistan: (British) Army starts negotiations in Helmand - Guardian UK

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

At least the Brits are showing some sense in this idiotic war.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/07/british-army-afghanistan-talibal

British army officers are in face-to-face negotiations with former Taliban enemies who were shooting at them just weeks ago, as pressure grows for a Northern Ireland-style political settlement in Afghanistan.

The attempt to persuade militants to negotiate is vital because it is impossible to win the war through military means alone, according to the commander of the British battle group in the south of Helmand province.

Lieutenant-Colonel Alan Richmond, of the Queen's Dragoon Guards, based in Garmsir district, said: 'Undoubtedly there have been former Taliban at quite a lot of the shuras that I've attended, and others. For all we know, there could even be Taliban there. We have opportunities to talk to them and try to convince them that reconciliation is the way ahead.

Calls for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban are intensifying after a year of worsening violence, which shows little sign of abating during a mild winter. More than 6,000 people have died in 2008 in insurgency-related violence, according to the Associated Press. Forty-two British military personnel have died in the country this year.

However, attempts to engage the Taliban have been criticised as a betrayal of efforts to establish democracy. Last month the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, defied Washington by offering asylum to the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, if he was willing to negotiate peace. The British ambassador, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, has acknowledged that it is time to stem the insurgency with negotiations.