Taliban say U.S. reconciliation offer "lunatic"

[240 is Back]

 Source: Reuters

KABUL, April 1 (Reuters) - Taliban insurgents rejected on Wednesday a U.S. offer of "honourable reconciliation" as a "lunatic idea" and said the withdrawal of foreign troops was the only way to end the war in Afghanistan.

With the Afghan conflict now in its eighth year, NATO-led forces and the Taliban are locked in a bloody stalemate with violence set to rise further this year as more U.S. troops arrive and seek to contain the insurgency ahead of August elections.

President Barack Obama is redoubling U.S. efforts with more troops, more diplomatic effort and more economic assistance, but he has also already spoken of the need for an "exit strategy".

(snip)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an international conference on Afghanistan on Tuesday that those members of the Taliban who abandoned extremism must be granted an "honourable form of reconciliation".

[Bindare_Dundat]

Source: Reuters



President Barack Obama is redoubling U.S. efforts with more troops, more diplomatic effort and more economic assistance, but he has also already spoken of the need for an "exit strategy".

I'm guessing an exit strategy will probably center around deploying more troops into the region.

[Nordic Superman]

Huh? Was this an idea of Obama? Did he think he could sweet talk islamists with his voice and predictable hand gestures?

Seriously, this is laughable.

[IFBBwannaB]

The only way to reconcile with Muslim extremists is with a 9mm to their heads, I see no other way, nor do I want any other way with them.

It's time to clean the earth of these pieces of human filth.

[shootfighter1]

You cannot reason with islamic militants.  Whether they consider themselves extremists or not, islamic militants don't respect passivity and compromise.  I listened to a middle eastern female expert on middle eastern culture the other day, who said many islamic fighters see Obama as weak and his efforts as cowardly.

[headhuntersix]

Rubble doesn't make trouble....maybe Barry ought to stop talking to moveOn.org and the rest of the idiot left and talk to people who have been over there, deal with these people and finally figure out that not everybody wants hope and change. These people prefer death and misery then anything we can offer. I think, with all certainty, that we can expediate the death part very easily. He needs rope in Hilary.

[Soul Crusher]

Source: Reuters

KABUL, April 1 (Reuters) - Taliban insurgents rejected on Wednesday a U.S. offer of "honourable reconciliation" as a "lunatic idea" and said the withdrawal of foreign troops was the only way to end the war in Afghanistan.

With the Afghan conflict now in its eighth year, NATO-led forces and the Taliban are locked in a bloody stalemate with violence set to rise further this year as more U.S. troops arrive and seek to contain the insurgency ahead of August elections.

President Barack Obama is redoubling U.S. efforts with more troops, more diplomatic effort and more economic assistance, but he has also already spoken of the need for an "exit strategy".

(snip)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an international conference on Afghanistan on Tuesday that those members of the Taliban who abandoned extremism must be granted an "honourable form of reconciliation".

The "smartest woman in the world" is a complete moron.

[headhuntersix]

The State Department ought to just break away from the US. They have no idea what the hell they're doing. They never do a damm thing thats in our best interest. Their employee's are gutless morons....Bush and Condi had to threaten them to get them to go to Iraq and Afganistan. Now we have Barry apologizing to everybody and Hil making peace with a group that burns women with acid. These people are idiots.

[loco]

Whether they consider themselves extremists or not, islamic militants don't respect passivity and compromise.  I listened to a middle eastern female expert on middle eastern culture the other day, who said many islamic fighters see Obama as weak and his efforts as cowardly.

Yes, unfortunately, Islamic militants' "warrior" mentality respects only war and and aggression, even from their enemies!  And this goes back way before Islam.   Persians for example had the habit of treating "valiant warriors" with great honor.

CLXXXI. The Aeginetan trireme, of which Asonides was captain, did however give them some trouble. On board this ship was Pytheas son of Ischenous, who acted heroically on that day. When his ship had been taken, he would not stop fighting until he had been entirely hacked to mincemeat. [2] When he finally did fall, he still had life in him, and the Persian soldiers on the ships took great pains to keep him alive for his valor, tending his wounds with ointments and wrapping him in bandages of linen cloth1 . [3] Upon returning to their own station, they showed him to the whole host, and made much of him and treated him with kindness. The rest of those whom they took in that ship, however, they used as slaves.

- Herodotus, The Histories (ed. A. D. Godley)
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=7.181.1

[headhuntersix]

I think u just did more research then then the State Department did. The idea that peace and talking is seen as weak, is completely foreign to the nut jubs at State. They think they're dealing with the Russians or Germans and that a civil society with trade and cultural etc...is the ultimate aim of the Taliban. They want to serve as a militant arm for some world spanning caliphate...nothing less will do. Appeasement will lead to another major attack here. Bin laden saw us pull out Somalia and concluded we were weak. He attacked our embassies and we did very little. He continued and this led to 911. Obama is walking down the same road.

[LurkerNoMore]

I think this is actually an empty gesture.  To make it look like reasonable attempts at peace was tried.  When the leader declared afterwards that "Martyrdom is the goal and martyrdom will be sought."  That sort of justifies the killings that will take place.

The answer to that offer was rather predictable.  And welcome.  Let them fight.  Let them die.  It's all they know.  Makes no difference to us either way. 

[Hereford]

The only way to reconcile with Muslim extremists is with a 9mm to their heads, I see no other way, nor do I want any other way with them.

It's time to clean the earth of these pieces of human filth.

x2

[IFBBwannaB]

I'm glad that people are starting to wake up and realise that the Islamic world threat is real and eminent, they already spread their hate and violence through Europe, it's time to take action.

[George Whorewell]

Gee, is this really a surprise?

These animals see kindness and compromise as weakness. WTF are you moral relativists going to pull your heads out of your asses and realize an all out military solution is the only way to stop this threat?

When you kill your own peoples women and children, target non military targets on purpose and want all nonbelievers converted or killed- You should be destroyed without compromise, discussion or concession. To hell with public opinion and diplomacy.