Press TV - Karzai presents proofs of US covert ties with Taliban
Taliban militants in no rush for talks with failed US: Marvin Weinbaum
An analyst says the US pushed for negotiated talks with the Taliban to save
face internationally, but the Taliban see no rush to talk before US troop
withdrawal in 2014.
In the background of this the US-led NATO operations ISAF (International
Security Assistance Force) requests Karzai present proof of his claims that
the US has covert ties with the Taliban and held talk with the Taliban
outside of Afghanistan without Karzai’s involvement, accusing the US of
collaboration. The US and the Karzai government are still negotiating
security issues for after the planned 2014 US troop withdrawal from
Afghanistan. The US is pushing Kabul to sign the deal in three months time.
Press TV has interviewed Marvin Weinbaum, Middle East Institute, Washington
about this issue. The following is an approximate transcription of the
interview.
*Press TV:* There is no question that the US has said time and time again
that any peace and stability in Afghanistan will come through a negotiated
settlement with the Taliban. The US has made overtures to start talks with
the Taliban.
Why now is the US alluding to the fact that it is not talking or does not
have any relations with the Taliban?
*WeinBaum:* I think there is no question that there were some talks. Where
the US is standing is that at the moment those talks have been suspended
and there is nothing currently in the way by which it would suggest that
they’re moving toward just the beginning of serious talks.
So there is no disagreement here that there were overtures together with
Pakistan to try to bring the Taliban to the table in Qatar, but only
whether they have produced anything of any significance.
*Press TV:* Do you think the US will continue to make such overtures and if
it does what would the Afghan government’s reaction be to any sort of
negotiated settlement between the US and the Taliban?
*WeinBaum:* The Taliban have no interest in talking with the Karzai
government.
But what the US has said is, ‘OK let’s get the talks started and then maybe
we can bring the government in’.
Karzai’s remarks reflect the fact that he feels - personally feels -
because many other Afghans have rejected his remarks, that he feels he’s
been cut out of serious decisions and insists that those are going on.
Others insist that at least for the moment they are not going on.
*Press TV:* How logistically possible do you think is it to hold talks
between the US and the Taliban considering the Taliban right now is a
disjointed faction with some of them according to reports in Pakistan, some
of them incarcerated and some of them in Pakistan.
Do you think there is a possibility for the Taliban leadership to basically
unite to hold any sort of negotiations?
*WeinBaum:* That’s an important question.
There obviously has been disagreement among the Taliban themselves as to
whether they want to push ahead with some kind of talks or simply wait out
the NATO and American departure from the country by the end of 2014 and to
see if the Afghan army holds together.
So there’s a stronger element here that says - What’s the rush here? Why
compromise now?
And also, apparently whatever the leadership decides, there are commanders
we’re told within Afghanistan who say, now wait a second, we didn’t come
this far to sign a peace treaty.
*Press TV:* It’s quite clear that even after all of these years the Taliban
are a force to be reckoned with as far as the US goes. What kind of legacy
do you think the US leaves behind, keeping this in mind?
*WeinBaum:* Well, it would like to leave the legacy that all of the
investment of these years led to a political solution. I don’t personally
believe that’s in the cards; that’s unlikely to happen.
Whether it has had any value at all depends on whether the security forces
of Afghanistan and the government, too, can come together and stabilize the
country. There is some serious doubts that they can do it, but we won’t
really know until the responsibility is theirs entirely and then we have to
see whether in fact they can stand up against the Taliban.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/18/294214/taliban-in-no-rush-for-talks-with-failed-us/
Press TV has interviewed Marvin Weinbaum, Middle East Institute, Washington
about this issue.
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Received on Tue Mar 19 2013 - 14:06:17 EDT
