As I have pointed out here?
President Biden seems to be looking at a long term policy for Afghanistan…..
That goal is to try to wait for the Taliban to take over the country….
Then deal with them as a ruling force trying to govern….
It is one thing to run a military conquest of a country….
It is entirely different to run one….
The question is?
Does the Taliban give a shit?
And at what cost of death and human suffering?
So far the idea of peace negotiations has been ignored…..
In fact it appears that Taliban leaders have been unable to control some of their own military forces who are being told to NOT seek revenge on thew countries police and military forces who would be needed to maintain some sort of oder for the Taliban to govern in the future….
The current government leaders are trying to get Pakistan to bring Taliban leaders to sit-down and make some sort of peace and power sharing agreement….
A U.S. peace envoy brought a warning to the Taliban on Tuesday that any government that comes to power through force in Afghanistan won’t be recognized internationally after a series of cities fell to the insurgent group in stunningly quick succession.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy, traveled to Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office, to tell the group that there was no point in pursuing victory on the battlefield because a military takeover of the capital of Kabul would guarantee they would be global pariahs. He and others hope to persuade Taliban leaders to return to peace talks with the Afghan government as American and NATO forces finish their pullout from the country.
The insurgents have captured six out of 34 provincial capitals in the country in less than a week, including Kunduz in Kunduz province — one of the country’s largest cities. On Sunday, they planted their flag in the main square, but government forces still controlled the strategic airport and an army base on the city’s outskirts.
They are now battling the Western-backed government for control of several others. Late on Tuesday, Taliban forces entered Farah and were seen in front to the provincial governor’s office….
…
The success of the Taliban blitz has added urgency to the need to restart the long-stalled talks that could end the fighting and move Afghanistan toward an inclusive interim administration. The insurgents have so far refused to return to the negotiating table.
Khalilzad’s mission in Qatar is to “help formulate a joint international response to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan,” according to the U.S. State Department.
He plans to “press the Taliban to stop their military offensive and to negotiate a political settlement, which is the only path to stability and development in Afghanistan,” the State Department said.
Meanwhile, the Taliban military chief released an audio message to his fighters on Tuesday, ordering them not to harm Afghan forces and government officials in territories they conquer. The recording was shared on Twitter by the Taliban spokesman in Doha, Mohammad Naim….
…
Senior Afghan officials have also travelled to Doha, including Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the government’s reconciliation council. Pakistan’s national security adviser, Moeed Yusuf, on Monday called for “reinvigorated” efforts to get all sides in the conflict back to talks, describing a protracted war in Afghanistan as a “nightmare scenario” for Pakistan.
Yusuf refused to definitively say whether Pakistan, which holds considerable sway over the Taliban, would recognize a Taliban government installed by force, saying instead that Pakistan wants to see an “inclusive” government in Kabul….
The American Public no longer cares about Afghanistan.
As I’ve reiterated on several occasions ,Afghanistan has a tribal culture totally alien to our thought processes.
It will rapidly revert to the situation that existed prior to the American invasion.
Thee Taliban in nominal control with tribal warlords engaging in a low level civil war that will go on for years.
I agree. No one “lost” Afghanistan because it was never ours to begin with.
After 9-11 we should have treated terrorist organizations operating there like crime families. Infiltrated and brought them to justice like was done with the mafia.
. We can’t change the culture through military invasion.
Afghanistan may have a tribal culture, but the Taliban are looking to do away with that culture and replace it with their Islamic vision.
The Taliban have been effective at exploiting ethnic tensions, hatred of foreign occupation and lack of local administrative controls in order to win support from the population that one would think would oppose them.
Ultimately, the Afghans have to want to fight for their country, and it doesn’t appear that they want to. Much of the population probably doesn’t even remember what Taliban rule was like.
U are correct on the Afghan culture of tribalism
It is already reverting back to that is some places and that will be trouble for the Talban
But things are even more complicated
Different Muslim sects
Pakistan
Iran
How do run a metro city with millions?
Large groups of soldier’s who couldn’t flee the country?
Yup!
Who does each group fight FOR or AGAINST?
And as a country?
Biden seem’s to be betting the Taliban WILL have to deal with the West