Not so bold prediction: They will still be fighting long after we leave.
(CNSNews.com) – Negotiating between the Taliban – the organization that once sheltered al Qaeda when it ruled Afghanistan – and the current Afghan government is the only way to achieve peace in the country after a 12-year war, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
“Whether it’s through this process or another, we will continue to pursue reconciliation and so will the Afghan government, because that is ultimately the only course to pursue for the long-term stability of the country,” Carney said when asked about the Taliban political office.
“It is difficult. Friends don’t negotiate with each other – enemies do – and it is hard to do this. I think conflicts throughout history demonstrate that, but in the end, it is the only way to ensure the peace and stability of Afghanistan in the future,” he said.
The Taliban opened a political office in Qatar, where it is set to negotiate with the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. However, it flew its flag over the office, along with a sign that said, “Mission of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan,” which is what the country was called when it was under Taliban rule from 1996 through 2001. It was during that time that the Taliban government gave refuge to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda before it was deposed by the United States after 9/11.