Let's get back to Afghanistan. This is the latest statement from the Taliban about the ongoing negotiations in Qatar. 

Remarks by spokesman of Islamic Emirate concerning ongoing talks in Qatar

in Statements February 28, 2019 161 Views

Amid the ongoing talks between the negotiation teams of Islamic Emirate and United States in the Qatari capital of Doha, extensive discussions were held about the method of foreign troops withdrawal from Tuesday till Wednesday noon and from that time onwards, discussion revolved around preventing Afghanistan from being used against others. The meetings ended last night as both negotiation teams agreed to take a break today and tomorrow for consultations and preparation for the third meeting which shall be held on Saturday.

Meanwhile the Political Deputy of Islamic Emirate, the respected Mullah Baradar Akhund, met with the deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Abdul Rahman al-Thani, National Security Advisor Muhammad al-Masnad, US State Department’s Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad and commander of occupying forces in Afghanistan Scott Miller. The meetings focused on discussions about the ongoing negotiations process and withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. Respected Mullah Baradar Akhund clarified the policy of Islamic Emirate regarding foreign forces withdrawal and changing situation of Afghanistan while emphasizing our committed to the current peace process along with peace and establishment of an Islamic system in Afghanistan.

I wish there was something I could feel encouraged about, but there isn't. Discussing the foreign troops withdrawal is something that the Taliban wants and demands, but we already knew it. So, what does the "method" entail? You just pack up and get out, right? But perhaps they talked about the timetable for withdrawal. But regardless, that's something that the Taliban wants, and it is not a concession of theirs. Next, they talked about something the U.S. wants, which are guarantees that a Taliban-run Afghanistan won't become a haven for militants who want to harm the U.S. or its allies. But, that isn't a concession either because the Taliban have already stated, unilaterally, that they haven't done that and won't do it. 

And, the irony is: didn't we used to think that the Taliban was one such group? Isn't that why we attacked that country? But now, we apparently realize that they are not going to do that. But regardless, it's easy enough to say you won't do something that you haven't done and have no desire to do. So, the fact that we are imploring them about this is pure rhetoric. It has no value towards resolving anything. And it begs the question: what do we really want? 

Well, what we want is to be able to tip-toe out of there without having it appear that we lost the war. That's what the pluck we want. Don't you think that is going to take a bigger concession than the Taliban agreeing not to let militants organize attacks against the U.S. from Afghanistan?

And that's where the Taliban cooperating with the present Afghan government comes in.  Oh, that would be a real doozey for us, if we could get it.  To get the Taliban and the so-called "puppets" singing Kumbaya around the fire and swaying back and forth as they hold hands. That might even play in Peoria. But, there isn't the slightest indication that the Taliban will ever go for that. That's the problem. 

But, I predict that, as time passes, more officials from the present Afghan government are going to defect to the Taliban. Why? Isn't it obvious? You want to place your stake with the winner, don't you? Who wants to go down with a sinking ship? 

But, I tell you: this is unprecedented. Usually, when two hostile sides in a war undertake negotiations it's because one side is going to formally surrender. But, that's not the case here. The Taliban obviously isn't going to surrender to us. And our whole purpose for being there is to avoid making it look like we are surrendering. 

But, there may be a way out. If you keep your eye on the ball, and that being that the U.S. just wants to save face. It's all about PR. So, as the present Afghan government continues to weaken- and obviously the very fact that we are begging the Taliban to negotiate with us, and we are accepting that the "puppet" government can't be there, THAT, in itself, weakens the puppet government.

So, you get Ghani, the current President, to resign, and then you have some council appoint someone else as interim President, someone who is really of the Taliban, and you do the same at other levels of government, until you finally have an all Taliban government. And then the Taliban announces publicly, that, "Yes, we will work with this government." 

Then, we come home, and we tell the American people that, "You see, they're singing Kumbaya together. They learned their lesson. We didn't lose. It wasn't all a waste. It was all well worth it."

And that way, another American military boondoggle which killed hundreds of thousands of people and wrecked an entire country can be covered up. We've got court historians who will know how to parse it.  The important thing for the Afghans is to just get us the fuck out of their country. Then, we give out a few awards, a few Purple Hearts to the "heroes" who saved democracy, maybe construct an Afghan War monument in Washington, and bingo: you chime the chime until it's sublime. 

But, here's something interesting: the Taliban might demand money. They might say, "You destroyed our country, so pay up." But, if that's all they want is money, I predict we'll give it to them. I mean, what the hell, we just print it up anyway. It's just conjured into existence. So, how hard is that? There is an unlimited supply. You just keep adding zeroes. Big deal. Eventually, we'll be up to quadrillions of dollars of debt, but so what? It's just computer blips on a monitor. It doesn't mean anything. There is no national debt. When you can print the money to pay your debts, you don't have any debts. It's a game; an illusion. So sure, we'll give them money. In the old days, that was called "reparations" which the loser paid the winner of a war. But, we won't call it that. Of course not. We'll call it American generosity helping the downtrodden.  

So actually, there is hope if the Taliban would realize that we only want to save face. We just want to get out of there without having to admit that we lost. 

So really, there is a chance for peace in our time if both sides will work together to nurse the delusion and prop-up the farce. And let's hope for it because 18 years of a vicious, senseless war, which we started, which we crossed an ocean to start, and which has killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, is quite enough.