Negotiations with the Taliban

So, I’m on CNN today, and I see this link for “Negotiating with the Taliban.” Here, read it yourself. Anyway, the article is an interview with Stephen Biddle, who’s apparently some big shot in defense policy at the Council of Foreign Relations. Most of the article contains Biddle’s thoughts and expectations for Obama’s speech (on what he's going to promise YOU, if you re-elect him) and what war strategies we should be using in Afghanistan. Here’s an excerpt from Biddle’s response to the importance of negotiations with the Taliban.

“Somehow or another, there is going to be some sort of agreement in which the Taliban lays down its arms in exchange for something. What the war is really about is what something is.” (Poppies. What?) “What are the terms of whatever agreement produces an end to the fighting?”

Biddle goes on to explain that those who take a more aggressive approach to the war want the terms to be extremely favorable to us with few concessions to them. Can we say: “surrender?”

Yeah, like that’s going to happen.

            "Anybody else get that? I can't get bullsh*t transmissions from this far up..."

The Taliban sees Westerners in a dualist light. You’re either with them or against them. Negotiations with a terrorist organization that sees the Western way of life as a debauched and unholy existence will not be as simple as Biddle is making it out to be. Also, I doubt negotiations will do anything now, especially when so many troops are still on the ground over there. Once we actually make some headway in lowering our numbers, which won’t be for a while, then we might be able to talk.

Will negotiations get us anywhere?

Maybe. And that’s only if we’re talking about the government and military officials involved, not the foot soldiers of the organizations themselves. This “war” is not as concrete as analysts are making it out to be. It’s too diluted. Can we even call it a war at this point? It’s a series of skirmishes over a widespread stretch of land against farmers with machine guns heavily persuaded through force or other means to believe that the soldiers with the nicer weapons and cooler gear are evil. Why are we still there? To make sure Afghanistan doesn’t turn into a powerhouse capable of destabilizing Pakistan or hurting us?

Totally, Biddle. Let’s negotiate.

                                                                           "Nope."

How are we going to achieve that kind of goal whilst negotiating with the Taliban, when it’s obvious one of their main demands will be U.S. withdrawal?

What do you guys think? Is Biddle in over his head? Should we focus more on withdrawal or accomplishing administrative goals?

Images thanks to Flickr & Connect.in.com.