[Peace-discuss] Gates Says Talks with Taliban "Conceivable" - Let's Get Started

[C. G. Estabrook]

Gates' speech to NATO in Budapest on Thursday actually sounds less forthcoming
on Afghanistan than the comments from Petraeus and the uniformed military:

<http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/10/gates.taliban/?iref=mpstoryview>;

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100901145_pf.html>.

Gates seems to be laying the groundwork for the expansion of the AfPak war that
the Obama administration is promising (perhaps with R. Gates continuing as
SecDef, as the Obama people have suggested):

"'There has to be ultimately -- *and I'll underscore ultimately* --
reconciliation as part of a political outcome to this,' he said. Those talks
would not include al Qaeda, Gates said. The reconciliation would have to be on
the Afghan government's terms, and the Taliban would have to subject itself to
the sovereignty of the government..." [emphasis added].

Strong-arming a reluctant NATO into an anti-drugs stance is reminiscent of the
cover-story the US has used for so long in attacking insurgents in the US
terror-state of Colombia.  The foreign policy establishment seems to learn
nothing and forget nothing. --CGE


Robert Naiman wrote:
> Defense Secretary Gates said Thursday that the U.S. could "ultimately" 
> contemplate the idea of negotiating with the Taliban to secure a political
> settlement in Afghanistan, if the Afghan government were to pursue such
> talks, the Financial Times reports. Gates said a political settlement with
> the Taliban was "conceivable."
> 
> "There has to be ultimately, and I'll underscore ultimately, reconciliation
> as part of a political outcome to this," Gates said.
> 
> Eventually, Gates seems to be saying, we're going to have to talk to the
> Taliban. But not yet. If this is where we're going, why not get started now?
> 
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/gates-says-talks-with-tal_b_133994.html
> 
> 
> http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/12/144740/73/59/628457
> 
> -- Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org 
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
> 
> Ambassador Pickering on Iran Talks and Multinational Enrichment 
> http://youtube.com/watch?v=kGZFrFxVg8A 
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