BBC News: Reports that the Obama White House is to open direct talks with the Taliban of Afghanistan, the articles notes there are conditions, " the talks are on condition that the Taliban renounce violence, break ties with al-Qaeda and respect the Afghan constitution .. ".
Lets Get Real:
This is a fig leaf folks, the Western Allies are running out of Afghanistan in 2014, the US is keeping a small force IN Country to go after Al Qaeda, lets see how long the US stays, a small force will be a tempting target for Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Lets be brutal here folks, the Taliban can have Afghanistan, they are welcome to it, as long as they understand, should they allow Al Qaeda back in to their former safe heavens the West from bases in Pakistan will use drones to take out any threat. As in 1973 when the US agreed to leave South Vietnam its only a matter of time before the Taliban overthrow the Afghan Government and retake Kabul, one does feel sorry for the women in Afghanistan, will will not leave them with much after so many promises of support, it can be argued that the Taliban are the modern North Vietnam/Vietcong, they outlasted another power, the British Empire had to many bloody shirts from Afghanistan, the War in Afghanistan helped bring down the USSR, the US and Allied presence today shows the limit of modern power. History repeats itself, Vietnam, Afghanistan, one wishes modern leaders had read history at University. The voters in the US and UK want out of Afghanistan, the War has been to long, and the cost to high, and for what, sand that falls through your hand.
