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Afghanistan
Deal nears in talks with US: Taliban
2019-08-28
[DAWN] US and Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
negotiators moved closer on Tuesday to a deal, the bad boy group said, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced guarded hope for a deal under which Washington will withdraw large numbers of troops from Afghanistan.

The optimism came during the fifth day of talks in Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
between the two sides as negotiators wrangled over individual words and phrases in a draft deal.

"We have progress in this round so we are finalising the remaining points," Taliban front man Suhail Shaheen told journalists outside the upmarket Doha members' club where the talks are taking place.

He said a deal could be expected "as soon as the remaining points are finalised".

The United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, toppling the Taliban from power.

Washington wants to withdraw thousands of US troops and bring an end to 18 years of war ‐ but only on the condition that the group renounces its connections to Al Qaeda and curbs attacks.

‘No Timeline’ For Troop Withdrawal In Afghanistan: Trump

[ToloNews] US President Donald Trump
...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons......
at a presser on the last day of G7 Summit in Biarritz, La Belle France, said there is no timeline for US forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The negotiations between the US and the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
negotiators are underway in Doha, Qatar, with the hope to reach an agreement which will enable the withdrawal of part of US forces, almost 5,000 troops, from Afghanistan.

Mr. Trump, however, said "whatever it is", there is "no rush".

"We’re there, we’re really a peacekeeping force more than anything else, frankly. We could win that war in a very short period of time, but I’m not looking to kill 10 million people, Okay?" Mr. Trump said, repeating his recent controversial comments on winning the war in Afghanistan.

The US president pointed out to his administration’s efforts in talking with both the Afghan government and the Taliban as the two sides of the war.

"And we are working along with the Taliban, with the government and other people too, we will see what happens," he said.

This comes as sources said on Monday that the US and the Taliban negotiators have made progress on establishing safe zones in parts of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of international forces from the country.

The sources said that based on the safe zone strategy, a ceasefire will be announced in every province from where US forces would leave while nationwide ceasefire will be implemented after the complete withdrawal of American forces.

A Taliban front man in Doha Suhail Shaheen in a tweet on Tuesday said the talks will resume at 11 am Kabul time to discuss and agree on the remaining points.

At the same time, the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, rejected the reports which say the United States will stop funding the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces as part of a peace deal between the US and the Taliban.

Related:
US and Taliban negotiators: 2019-03-22 Abu Dhabi crown prince 'proposed killing Taliban leaders'
US and Taliban negotiators: 2012-03-16 Afghan Taliban suspend talks with US
US and Taliban negotiators: 2011-12-24 Karzai rejects US peace deal with Afghan Taliban
Related:
Mike Pompeo: 2019-08-22 Pompeo: We Will Act If Iranian Tanker Tries to Deliver Oil to Syria
Mike Pompeo: 2019-08-20 US extends ban on passports for North Korea travel
Mike Pompeo: 2019-08-16 Lebanese Army receives 150 new Humvees from US
Posted by:Fred

#4  The mods have all they can handle just doing articles, Dron66046 — and we have data on turban casualties going back to the CIA action in 2002 that I’m sure you’d want included. But if you or someone would do that counter thingy, I’m sure Fred would find a place for it here.
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-08-28 22:43  

#3  I wish there were a counter. Maybe we could rig one up at Rantburg, the mods could update it with every report of dead turbans.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-08-28 10:33  

#2  keep killing them wholesale. We may still be in afghanistan but I like how it is going now more than it used too be.
Posted by: chris   2019-08-28 09:33  

#1  
"These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate."
George W. Bush, Statement To Joint Session Of Congress September 20th 2001

There's a reason why adversaries tend to not take American threats seriously.

Whatever sense an agreement with the Taliban might make in the Afghan context, the mere fact that there is an agreement with the Taliban seriously undermines US and Western deterrence and credibility.

A precipitous withdrawal accompanied by threats of massive strategic retaliation in case of another attack would be the much lesser evil.
Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660   2019-08-28 01:02  

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