America and Taming the Taliban
Published in Al-rafidayn
(Iraq) on 21 June 2011
by Rada Al-Batawi (link to original)
For some time the news has been revealing that there are now talks and negotiations between the United States and the Taliban regarding a peaceful withdrawal from the Afghan quagmire — or at least one with minimal losses.
Whenever the United States negotiates or discusses anything she works on weakening the position of whomever she is negotiating with, whether the negotiations are direct or completed through other parties. This weakening is evidenced in the temptation of leaders with rank and money, as evidenced by what happened in Somalia with the current Somali president, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The U.S. made him abandon his objectives with the Courts Movement due to the position they put him in as a figurehead president with no power or strength. Ahmed didn’t realize that his objectives or the movement had died except in areas situated far from the control of the governmental forces.
The Taliban must pay close attention because the United States will give them leadership of the state and the government. The most important thing — and the thing that really causes problems — is the incorporation of American troops into the army. These troops then become known as they are distributed amongst troops from the current governmental army and others from other organizations, which eventually leads to a weakening of the combined forces in the future. This is what happened with the Courts Movement in Somalia. In such a situation, the army will begin to enter into confrontations with colleagues and they won’t be united, but divided. In this way the backbone of the movement will be broken, just as happened with the Courts Movement.
Through this negotiation policy, the United States is withdrawing allied troops and leaving the Afghan lion lame after a civil war that has broken the backbone of the Taliban, leaving Afghanistan with no large power capable of taking over governing the country alone. The country will remain unified through weak governments, or it will fragment into different movements — just like in Somalia.
Whenever the United States negotiates or discusses anything she works on weakening the position of whomever she is negotiating with, whether the negotiations are direct or completed through other parties. This weakening is evidenced in the temptation of leaders with rank and money, as evidenced by what happened in Somalia with the current Somali president, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The U.S. made him abandon his objectives with the Courts Movement due to the position they put him in as a figurehead president with no power or strength. Ahmed didn’t realize that his objectives or the movement had died except in areas situated far from the control of the governmental forces.
The Taliban must pay close attention because the United States will give them leadership of the state and the government. The most important thing — and the thing that really causes problems — is the incorporation of American troops into the army. These troops then become known as they are distributed amongst troops from the current governmental army and others from other organizations, which eventually leads to a weakening of the combined forces in the future. This is what happened with the Courts Movement in Somalia. In such a situation, the army will begin to enter into confrontations with colleagues and they won’t be united, but divided. In this way the backbone of the movement will be broken, just as happened with the Courts Movement.
Through this negotiation policy, the United States is withdrawing allied troops and leaving the Afghan lion lame after a civil war that has broken the backbone of the Taliban, leaving Afghanistan with no large power capable of taking over governing the country alone. The country will remain unified through weak governments, or it will fragment into different movements — just like in Somalia.