Taliban leaders held at Guantánamo Bay to be released in peace talks deal

guardian.co.uk ^ | 1/3/12 | Julian Borger, and Jon Boone

[ColdOne]

The US has agreed in principle to release high-ranking Taliban officials from Guantánamo Bay in return for the Afghan insurgents' agreement to open a political office for peace negotiations in Qatar, the Guardian has learned.

According to sources familiar with the talks in the US and in Afghanistan, the handful of Taliban figures will include Mullah Khair Khowa, a former interior minister, and Noorullah Noori, a former governor in northern Afghanistan.

More controversially, the Taliban are demanding the release of the former army commander Mullah Fazl Akhund. Washington is reported to be considering formally handing him over to the custody of another country, possibly Qatar.

The releases would be to reciprocate for Tuesday's announcement from the Taliban that they are prepared to open a political office in Qatar to conduct peace negotiations "with the international community" – the most significant political breakthrough in ten years of the Afghan conflict.

The Taliban are holding just one American soldier, Bowe Bergdahl, a 25-year-old sergeant captured in June 2009, but it is not clear whether he would be freed as part of the deal.

"To take this step, the [Obama] administration have to have sufficient confidence that the Taliban are going to reciprocate,"

[SandRat]

This is going to come back to bite the O-Bozo administration big time.

[pie_eater]

At first I thought this was a joke.

Could there be a bigger “screw you” to our military?

If Obama gets even one vote from a current or retired member of our military or their families, there is something wrong.

[treetopsandroofs]

“The Taliban are holding just one American soldier,”

I got it... so it’s UNFAIR that we hold so many enemy prisoners, compared to JUST one American soldier.

No worry if our release of killers doesn’t release HIM, or perhaps setting us up for O-hole worship after he IS released?

This is all re-election campaign theater.

What putrid propaganda and domestic enemies have done to this country is unconscionable.

[molson209]

He killed Osama bin Laden(maybe) ,so he’s trying to take the targets off the backs of his family and his own

[traditional1]

For those who gave their lives, fighting FOR this country, we now have "Kumbaya Diplomacy", with those whose religion says they should kill us, and go to Allah.

FUBO

[SandRat]

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[Joe Bfstplk]

I am for repatriation as long as they go home in a box.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Gotta make room for the rednecks that Obama is going to have the Army send there!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Kumbaya diplomacy will not work because they don’t believe in a Kumbaya God.

[Jet Jaguar]

Ping

[ConorMacNessa]

Free several leading terrorists just to get them to the table? Absolutely ridiculous - under the doctrine of Hudna, the Muslims will only be bound by for as long as it's convenient for them.

From Wikipedia:

"According to Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-Nasik, a medieval summary of Shafi'i jurisprudence, hudnas with a non-Muslim enemy should be limited to 10 years: "if Muslims are weak, a truce may be made for ten years if necessary, for the Prophet made a truce with the Quraysh for that long, as is related by Abu Dawud" ('Umdat as-Salik, o9.16)"

As a practical matter, the period would be much shorter - as soon as our troops are out of Afghanistan, the Taliban will be up to their old tricks. Look how quickly things are going to Hell in Iraq since we left!

Etiam non princeps sed usque ad genua, Principis Pacis!

[reasonisfaith]

Releasing terrorists from Gitmo can only come from an active desire for an attack on America. How can this statement not be true?

[Nachum]

Thanks Jet Jaguar

The list, Ping

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[MestaMachine]

puh’bama’s people. Period.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I’d inoculate them with something “catchy.”

[HiTech RedNeck]

And in the meantime, yellow bellies in Congress tossed this to Obama.

[FlingWingFlyer]

In other words, Barry and the ‘RATS are releasing a bunch of Taliban killers so they can kill again. Cool! Way to go Bonzo!

[Chode]

and America takes another one in the........

[Popman]

——More controversially, the Taliban are demanding the release of the former army commander Mullah Fazl Akhund——

I have no problem with this.....at all

As long he is released out the back of a C-130 at 10,000 ft....no parachute