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| Pragmatic solutions |
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
We have in the recent past questioned who among the Afghan Taliban may be talked to in search of a solution to the apparently endless war, and moreover questioned the motives of many of those who might engage in dialogue. Lo and behold, reports have now surfaced that the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Pakistan are all engaged in a series of contacts – not yet negotiations – with the Afghan Taliban. The war with the Taliban in Afghanistan was never going to be won in purely military terms and was eventually going to have to be a meeting of minds. Perhaps that point has now been reached with a realization by the Obama administration that they are losing the domestic political argument that justifies the war and the loss of American lives and treasure. The UK is also paying a heavy price as are other NATO partners. The price we pay here is spattered across our streets and bazaars everyday as the bombers go about their business. Our own military is fighting the good fight, and winning as much as they can, but they also understand that there has to be a time for talking as well. And if there is talking behind the scenes about the Afghan conundrum then it follows that there will be talking behind the scenes here, because the linkage between the Afghan conflict and our own fight is self-evident.
It would seem from the scanty information available to us that what is happening is 'talks about talks'; the preparatory phase which is the precursor to direct engagement. We should not expect a quick resolution nor expect to move to a position that has a 'roadmap' attached in the short term. Key players are now engaged, and we are seeing a re-emergence of Mullah Omar as he has nominated his shadow foreign minister, Agha Muhtisam, to conduct contacts. It is likely that the brokerage is being conducted by the Saudis, the UK and the Americans working through Afghan proxies in these early stages. Afghanistan is struggling to put a government together in the aftermath of a desperately flawed election and talk of a Loya Jirga is in the air. There is a sense that threat could be turned into opportunity and as the landscape changes an opportunity for pragmatic engagement emerges. Talking to the Afghan Taliban was going to have to happen at some point, and behind the arras there may just be whisperings of peace.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
