More on Taliban Rejection of the Karzai Talks
Jul 31, 2020211.9K Shares6.4M Views
Over at Aviation Week’s Ares blog, Paul McLeary has a good and comprehensive overviewof what smart counterinsurgents think should be done with respect to Karzai-Taliban talks. (Via Small Wars Journal.)
In addition to some of the perspectives I’ve highlighted before(Dave Kilcullen, Joe Collins) Nate Fick thinks the Karzai government and its U.S. allies need to hold off on negotiating until their fortunes in the war improve — to get into “a position of strength where negotiation is an option,” in Fick’s words — and John Nagl thinks compelling some deeper detente between India and Pakistan is a prerequisite for Pakistan to be able to focus on its own Taliban problem. As Paul observes, this makes both Fick and Nagl’s positions fairly congruent with Collins’ argument. They’re also not so far from Kilcullen’s.
Then Paul poses some questions of his own:
“„The problem is, if the Taliban continue to remain as elusive as they are deadly, when does it become time to start talking? And won’t they approach the idea of negotiations with the same calculus of power and weakness?
Good questions. I suppose there’s no better answer than to say “when they start suffering military defeats, then it’s time to start negotiating,” despite that being an unsatisfying and subjective response. Perhaps it’s not necessary to view this as a sequence, where negotiations follow military engagements. Might it be more fruitful to have Karzai keep his offer to negotiate as a standing one, open to any element of the Afghan insurgency that wants to take him up? I freely admit I’m winging this, but I wonder.
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
Latest Articles
Popular Articles