AWR Hawkins | Big Peace | Without an official announcement or any publicity, the Obama administration released five members of the Taliban from Gitmo in order to open peace talks in Afghanistan.
Ynetnews.com reports that "a top U.S. official said the prisoners were released under the condition that they will not engage in any violent activity."
The terror activity of those released is not in question.
Rather, their release is intended as a gesture to get peace talks rolling between the U.S., Afghanistan, and the Taliban.
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Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
July 30, 2013
July 25, 2013
Heritage Foundation Slams Barack Obama's 'Zero Option' Policy on Afghanistan
The Economic Times | WASHINGTON: Hitting hard at the Obama Administration on considering "zero option" - meaning no troops on the ground in Afghanistan - after 2014, an eminent American expert on South Asia has said that it was a "dream option" for the Taliban militants in the war-torn country.
"The zero option is the Taliban dream option. An abrupt drawdown would pave the way for Taliban to regain influence and cripple the US ability to conduct counter-terrorism missions in the region," Lisa Curtis of The Heritage Foundation said at a conference on Afghanistan here. "The problem with trying to use the 'zero option' as a bargaining chip is that the Afghans already believe the US will cut and run, similar to the way we turned our backs on them over two decades ago when the Soviets left. Putting this idea out there only confirms what they already believe and fuels hedging behavior," Curtis said yesterday.
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"The zero option is the Taliban dream option. An abrupt drawdown would pave the way for Taliban to regain influence and cripple the US ability to conduct counter-terrorism missions in the region," Lisa Curtis of The Heritage Foundation said at a conference on Afghanistan here. "The problem with trying to use the 'zero option' as a bargaining chip is that the Afghans already believe the US will cut and run, similar to the way we turned our backs on them over two decades ago when the Soviets left. Putting this idea out there only confirms what they already believe and fuels hedging behavior," Curtis said yesterday.
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US Sending Pointman to Pak to Revive Qatar Afghan Peace Process
Afghanistan Sun (ANI) | Thursday 25th July, 2013 | The Obama administration has reportedly sent a special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of diplomatic efforts to break the deadlock in the Afghan reconciliation process.
According to the Express Tribune, the US special representative James Dobbins will meet senior Pakistani officials including Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz during his two-day trip to Islamabad.
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June 26, 2013
Obama, Karzai 'Reaffirm' Afghan-led Peace Process with Taliban: White House
Roberta Rampton | Reuters | U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday discussed stalled peace talks with the Taliban and "reaffirmed" their support for the process, the White House said.
"The leaders reaffirmed that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process is the surest way to end violence and ensure lasting stability in Afghanistan and the region, and they reiterated their support for an office in Doha for the purpose of negotiations between the High Peace Council and authorized representatives of the Taliban," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. READ MORE
"The leaders reaffirmed that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process is the surest way to end violence and ensure lasting stability in Afghanistan and the region, and they reiterated their support for an office in Doha for the purpose of negotiations between the High Peace Council and authorized representatives of the Taliban," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. READ MORE
September 27, 2012
Taking Stock of the Surge -- From the Bottom Up
Jennifer Rowland | The AfPak Channel | This month marks the end of the American surge in Afghanistan: the 33,000 additional troops President Barack Obama authorized in his administration's first months will complete redeployment, leaving behind a force of 68,000. By launching the surge in December 2009, President Obama attempted to remedy the previous administration's inattention to the Afghanistan effort and fully resource a civilian and military stabilization campaign.
Although the surge's primary military objective was to reverse the Taliban's momentum and train Afghan National Security Forces, it also aimed to "promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government." It would focus on local Afghan government institutions. (READ MORE)
Although the surge's primary military objective was to reverse the Taliban's momentum and train Afghan National Security Forces, it also aimed to "promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government." It would focus on local Afghan government institutions. (READ MORE)
September 25, 2012
Afghan Surge: Obama’s Great Gamble Comes To An End
Global Post | KABUL, Afghanistan — Almost three years after US President Barack Obama vowed to "seize the initiative" with a surge of forces to Afghanistan, his great gamble has come to an end.
The final remnants of those extra American troops departed last week, leaving behind a country still wracked by violence and bitterly divided, and still unsure of what has been achieved.
For each triumph on the battlefield there was, people here say, often a loss elsewhere. Now with time running out and Washington having played its strongest card, optimism is hard to find.
Even when lawmaker Abdul Jabar Qahraman is taking the short trip from his house in Kabul to the Ministry of Defense across town, he has his bodyguards well prepared and a plan for the journey carefully laid out.... (READ MORE)
The final remnants of those extra American troops departed last week, leaving behind a country still wracked by violence and bitterly divided, and still unsure of what has been achieved.
For each triumph on the battlefield there was, people here say, often a loss elsewhere. Now with time running out and Washington having played its strongest card, optimism is hard to find.
Even when lawmaker Abdul Jabar Qahraman is taking the short trip from his house in Kabul to the Ministry of Defense across town, he has his bodyguards well prepared and a plan for the journey carefully laid out.... (READ MORE)
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