A Deal With The Taliban? -- A Commentary

AFGHAN CHECKPOINT - U.S. Army soldiers arrive at an Afghan police checkpoint in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2010. The soldiers are assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez

From The New York Review Of Books:

For thirty years Afghanistan has cast a long, dark shadow over world events, but it has also been marked by pivotal moments that could have brought peace and changed world history.

One such moment occurred in February 1989, just as the last Soviet troops were leaving Afghanistan. Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze had flown into Islamabad—the first visit to Pakistan by a senior Soviet official. He came on a last-ditch mission to try to persuade Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the army, and the Interservices Intelligence (ISI) to agree to a temporary sharing of power between the Afghan Communist regime in Kabul and the Afghan Mujahideen. He hoped to prevent a civil war and lay the groundwork for a peaceful, final transfer of power to the Mujahideen.

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My Comment: This is a must read analysis on the Afghan-Pak Civil War.

Afghan Push May Threaten Pakistan

From DoD Buzz:

As policymakers continue to debate U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, we asked Rick Nelson, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to weigh in on the possibility of reconciling Taliban fighters, efforts to track down Al Qaeda and the potential risks that an escalation of the war in Afghanistan might pose to neighboring Pakistan. Nelson is a former Navy helicopter pilot with operational and intelligence experience in counterterrorism including assignments at the National Counterterrorism Center and National Security Council. Earlier this year, he returned from Afghanistan where he directed a Joint Task Force.

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My Comment: I do not see how an Afghan surge can jeopardize Pakistan .... especially since it is the Pakistanis themselves who have been demanding that the U.S. put soldiers on the border to stop any Taliban from fleeing Pakistan during their offensive in South Waziristan. Still .... this is a good review, and should be read in its entirety.