| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan |
| Taliban talking to US from position of strength |
| 2019-02-04 |
| [DAWN] While sharing his views about the ongoing negotiations between the United States and the Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... , renowned foreign policy author Ahmed Rashid on Sunday said the Taliban were talking from a position of strength as they controlled more territory than the Afghan government. "What I think is crucial is that the Taliban have now found an America that is willing to talk. Even the initiative taken by Richard Holbrooke and other American diplomats in the past ‐ never had the full backing of the President or the US establishment. Now the Taliban are finding that Trump is determined to pull out and this was his promise to his own voter base in the US," said Mr Rashid on the concluding day of Adab Festival, which was held at Governor House. At the session titled ’In conversation with Ahmed Rashid’, being moderated by journalist Zahid Hussain, the author was asked about his take on Afghan peace negotiations. "I want to know what has made the Trump administration take this more seriously? And as reports are coming in from Afghanistan that the Taliban are much more powerful than ever and more than 55 per cent of Afghan territory is supposed to be under their control. What has led the Taliban to negotiate, they have always talked about talking to the Americans and refused to have any interaction with the Kabul government, do you think now the Taliban are talking from a position of strength?" asked Mr Hussain. |
| Posted by:Fred |