Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

At this moment, the U.S. is negotiating with the Afghan Taliban, the very same Taliban they sought to overthrow in 2001. Here is a picture of them all gathered 'round the table. And get this: 5 of the Taliban reps are former Guantanamo inmates. 

It is we who have plied for these talks, not them. And one of the things we are seeking is a cease-fire. Well, you'd think that anyone who wanted a cease-fire would cease firing. But, according to the Taliban, we haven't. This is what it says on their website, tonight:

"Four civilians were martyred and seven more sustained life-threatening injuries in U.S invaders’ drone strikes in Qarabagh district of Ghazni province on Sunday, while a villager was martyred and another one was injured in a separate drone attack in Waghiz district of the province."

"Similarly, a civilian is reported to been martyred in the U.S drone attack in Syed Abad district of Wardak province on Monday."

"According to another report from Ghazni province, the combined U.S aggressors backed by their puppets outrageous destroyed a medical center last night and mercilessly martyred Saddiqullah, the head of the medical center in Gilan district of Ghazni province."

"The savage U.S troops forced the children and women as well as other civilians out of their homes near the medical center and made them spend a cold night outside."

"This comes as the U.N. in a statement regarding civilians casualties recognized such nighttime aggression against civilians as legal and labeled Mujahideen as the committers of such crimes."

Negotiating for the Taliban is Mulllah Mohammad Omar, who until recently was in prison in Pakistan. Why'd they let him out? Because we told them to, why else. But, it's all very strange because it wasn't long ago that Trump referred to the Taliban as terrorists. And now we are pleading with them to talk to us? Why would we do that? And what does it say? It says that we realize that they, the Taliban, are the future of Afghanistan.  

The Afghan government isn't there, and it's because the Taliban won't allow it. The Taliban would walk if the Afghan government showed up. The U.S. hopes it can change the Taliban's mind about that, to convince them to accept and work with the Afghan government. What do you think the chances are of that happening? I think they are pretty close to zero. The Taliban has been adamant that they consider the Afghan government to be traitors, quislings, and puppets.  They have been saying it for years. And they are involved in a non-stop war with them. They admit to attacking them daily. But, the Taliban knows better than to attack the U.S. And we don't want to engage with them either. Our thing is that we don't want American casualties. Why? Because American casualties become news. 

So, what is really going on here? What's going on is that we want out. We're saying, "No mas, no mas." We realize that we can't beat the Taliban, and we recognize that they are the future of Afghanistan.  But, we'd like to get out and save face. We don't want it to look like we lost, as we did in Vietnam. So, if they will just give us enough so that we can "declare victory and leave" we'll be happy. And our media will support it. Look how they are supporting the negotiations with the Taliban without explaining why this supposedly terrorist organization is now someone we should talk to and bargain with and make concessions to.

So, my advice to the Taliban would be: just throw the U.S. a bone. They want out of Afghanistan as much as you want them out. You both really want the same thing. You just have to figure out a way to do it so that the U.S. can save face. 

This is really a disgrace. We invaded that country, bombed them back to the Stone Age, all to get the Taliban out, and now we're inviting them back? What was it for? What was all the fighting and killing and dying for? What did thousands of Americans die for? If it's all going to end with the Taliban firmly back in power, why the hell did we do it? 

But listen, Taliban, and I mean Islamic Emirate, because I know you prefer to be called that, you know how there have been many Afghan government officials who have switched sides and joined you. And you've accepted them. Well, you accept a few more, and then you call it a merger of the Taliban with the Afghan government. The U.S. media will write it up that way, but what do you care? What you want is the U.S. out, and what the U.S. wants is to be able to say that you and the Afghan government are holding hands and singing "Kumbaya" around the fire. So, give them a way to say it even though it's total bull shit. They are looking for the exit, I'm telling you. All you have to do is open the door.