Taliban peace talks, chance for peace.... or are we just going to screw it up?

I wouldn’t be surprised that we’ll find out in a few years time that one, or both, or all parties involved had a hidden agenda, but if it makes for a period of relative peace/truce, thus less innocent civilians getting hurt or killed, then let them talk.

Why would we believe they are serious?

I am probably not going to make friends with this one and I apologize if I offend anyone but fuck the Taliban. I wish that we would have secured a few hundred assassins from the CIA to take out their camps and leaders all at once and all on the same day.
They can’t be trusted and are only in it to manipulate the minds of those that desire peace. There is no reasoning with fanatics. God bless the Afghan people and I applaud their choice to move forward but I think this is just smoke and mirrors. The Taliban are a bunch of pricks. We gave them a chance with Russia and they shit on everything post war then too.
If it were up to me and thank God it is not. I would wait for them all to be in one place at one time and then plant tracers and strike when they slept. Ugh…What an ugly group of people.

We’ll talk and they’ll insist that we respect their religion and prove it by agreeing they should be part of the legitimate government. We’ll probably agree, they’ll force their ridiculous religious views on the population and there will soon be more executions in the soccer stadiums.

I’ve seen this movie before.

I think the west will reject any demands the Taliban have and just expect them to roll over and dance after their flute, in response to which the Taliban will go back to their caves building bombs.

It depends on whether we are a party to the talks, or just observers. If it is between the Afghan government and the Taliban, there is a chance at an agreement, with the Afghan’s giving them some territory.

If the U.S. is deeply involved, I can’t see there being any agreement.

Let’s be perfectly clear. Bush “planned” the Afghanistan invasion. Because of that, like virtually everything else he “planned”, it’s been screwed up ever since he touched it, in this particular case, for ten years. It isn’t going to unscrew itself. There is NOTHING we can now do to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. He was irretrievably broken the moment he fell off the wall. The sooner we realize that and bow out the better. This said after my own younger son just got back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

I second what @judochop said. And as @elbanditoroso said, why would we ever believe them?

What bothers me, besides negotiating with Islamic fanatics, is the deal Obama has made to release high-ranking Taliban officials from Guantánamo Bay for this. Yet, it isn’t clear if Bowe Bergdahl will be released. shaking my head

On the other hand. It might be a good idea, set up a meeting then blow up the whole place as soon as we are sure the leaders are in place. I would televise it to show that the U.S. is capable of ruthless action. Now it’s just a rumor, we need to show the facts. Afghan is just 4 or 4 brutal forces fighting each other and the U.S. is just another tribal faction.

Why does anyone in the world think that Afghanistan can ever be a peaceful place?

Go back in history 50 years – the British were there, couldn’t do a damn thing, and left.

25 years ago the Russians tried to ‘control’ Afghanistan and they left with their tails between their legs. Utter failure.

The US has been jerking itself around for 10 years and is about to fail as well.

Trying to make any sort of peace in and with Afghanistan is as fools errand.

@elbanditoroso exactly, great answer. I vote to surround the country and deal with the winners of the inevitable conflict. I frankly am tired of those backward tribal people. If they want to stay in the 11th century, it’s fine with me.