Paying Taliban to turn Pro-Americn

[Putt4Par]

In another idiotic move President Obama has approved giving money to Taliban members who decide to become pro-American.

I thought it was a joke but apparently it is true. Obama thinks you can spread the wealth among Taliban members and erase years of hate towards the West and make them our allies.

Can this guy be more idiotic?

[Sickbag]

Seem to remember them being our allies when the Russians were the occupying force.

[Putt4Par]

Seem to remember them being our allies when the Russians were the occupying force.

That's right. And we provided the weapons they are now using against us.

But now I wonder...if they were our friends before, why are they now against us? They seem to be the ones changing their mind.

[Sickbag]

Mmm.
Could it have something to do with us now being the ones that have invaded their country?


Oh and by the way , did you hear of a scheme called the Sunni Awaking?

Started by the American occupiers in iraq 2005.

[Princess Leia]

In another idiotic move President Obama has approved giving money to Taliban members who decide to become pro-American.

I thought it was a joke but apparently it is true. Obama thinks you can spread the wealth among Taliban members and erase years of hate towards the West and make them our allies.

Can this guy be more idiotic?

Erm, well it worked OK when the last moron tried it in Iraq (sunni awakening, anyone?) and since most of these "Taliban" fighters are simply locals being paid less than $10 a day to side with the Taliban, I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Paying these guys off is probably cheaper than the ammunition NATO would use against them otherwise.

[David Hilditch]

In another idiotic move President Obama has approved giving money to Taliban members who decide to become pro-American.

I thought it was a joke but apparently it is true. Obama thinks you can spread the wealth among Taliban members and erase years of hate towards the West and make them our allies.

Can this guy be more idiotic?

It can work, eg. as recently as in the Iraq war. I am not yet clear that it is likely to be part of any Afghanistan policy going forward. However, it is being discussed and may be worth considering, on a selective basis. The Italians have already been doing it there. There is some talk about separating the extremist Taleban elements from the more moderate elements : the latter may be amenable to negotiations and to payments (bribes, if you like). The theory is that it's cheaper to pay them off, secure their weapons (or some of them) and turn them into capitalists. Sooner or later we are going to have to talk to the Taleban in some form, as we always do in the end with terrorists.

Actually, it's long been a part of counter-insurgency strategy going back 200 years. The classic textbook example is the British success against Malayan communists in the 1950s, the only example of a successful defeat of a communist insurgency by a colonial power. In the Afghan case we would also need to control what goes in and what goes out of the Pashtun areas, and we can't do that right now, as the British could in Malaya, but as the US couldn't in Vietnam and could only partially do in Iraq.

I don't know if payments would work in the more complex tribal society of Afghanistan, but what I do know is that the current policy has not been working since 2001, nor will merely increasing troop numbers make any difference either unless a more nuanced approach is identified.

[Verbal]

Perhaps Obama simply wants to offer them a stimulus package.

[Putt4Par]

Mmm.
Could it have something to do with us now being the ones that have invaded their country?

Um, no. Taliban was already anti-American providing safe refuge to Al-Qaeda before 9/11 and before March '03 when the U.S. invaded.

[Verbal]

Um, no. Taliban was already anti-American providing safe refuge to Al-Qaeda before 9/11 and before March '03 when the U.S. invaded.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan starting in late 2001 when they refused to turn over Al-Qaeda. The U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003 when someone in the Intelligence field hallucinated weapons of mass destruction under Saddam.

Regardless, I agree that the Taliban was anti-U.S. and anti West in general before 9/11.

[Sickbag]

Regardless, I agree that the Taliban was anti-U.S. and anti West in general before 9/11.

So is Pakistan, yet the US spends billions on miltary aid for that country. You don't suppose they are being brought off, do you?

[Putt4Par]

Um, no. Taliban was already anti-American providing safe refuge to Al-Qaeda before 9/11 and before March '03 when the U.S. invaded.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan starting in late 2001 when they refused to turn over Al-Qaeda. The U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003 when someone in the Intelligence field hallucinated weapons of mass destruction under Saddam.

Regardless, I agree that the Taliban was anti-U.S. and anti West in general before 9/11.

That is whay I meant and yes, I agree with your comments.