Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bargaining with the Taliban Devil
Townhall.com ^ | March 6, 2020 | Cal Thomas

Posted on 03/05/2020 8:24:13 AM PST by Kaslin

President Trump was rightly critical of the deal struck with Cuba during the Obama administration when he said the communist Cuban government got everything they wanted, and the U.S. got nothing in exchange. He has thankfully been reversing some of those unilateral concessions.

Let's apply his standard to the recently announced "peace deal" with the Taliban. Under terms of the agreement, as reported in The Washington Times, "The U.S. will free 5,000 Taliban prisoners and begin to remove sanctions on top Taliban leaders."

What does the U.S. get in return? The agreement, reportedly, asserts that we start calling them the Islamic Emirate, even though the U.S. doesn't recognize it as a state. They have agreed to release "1,000 people from 'the other side' held by the militant group, all before March 10."

Also in exchange for removing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, a goal long sought by the president, the Taliban has agreed to permanently cut all ties with terrorist groups, including al Qaida, and to never allow Afghanistan to again become the center for extremist organizations. How do they do that when they have been involved in terrorism -- some of it supported by the Iranian regime -- that has caused the deaths of many American troops?

Beginning March 10 in Norway, the Taliban also pledges to engage in formal talks with the Afghan government, which it has never recognized as legitimate. I'm betting the Nobel committee will hand out a "peace prize" to Taliban leaders in the final corruption of that once prestigious award (they also gave one to PLO terrorist leader Yasser Arafat).

The president is right that nearly 19 years after al Qaida's terrorist attack on America, the nation, not to mention brave American soldiers who have suffered through multiple deployments and family absences, are tired of the conflict. The late al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was also right when he predicted U.S. battle fatigue would occur in Afghanistan and used Vietnam as an example. And many people are correct when they say America cannot police the world. So, who will in our absence?

In a statement released by her office, House GOP conference chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo), expressed the skepticism many feel when she said, "Releasing thousands of Taliban fighters, lifting sanctions on international terrorists, and agreeing to withdraw all U.S. forces in exchange for promises from the Taliban, with no disclosed mechanism to verify Taliban compliance, would be reminiscent of the worst aspects of the Obama Iran nuclear deal."

A telling picture at the signing ceremony between two Taliban and one American official saw the Taliban members smiling and the American looking sober. Yet the agreement is already being tested. BBC News reports that the Taliban is set "...to resume attacks against government forces, just days after signing a deal with the US aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan."

The key in all this is whether other nations, especially those which have faced -- and still face -- terrorist attacks will meet their responsibilities in helping to police this deal. The worst outcome would be a regrouping of terrorists in Afghanistan and another attack on the United States, which next time might result in more deaths then occurred on Sept. 11.

Guess which president would be blamed should that occur?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: foreignpolicy; peace; presidenttrump; taliban

1 posted on 03/05/2020 8:24:13 AM PST by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Lets be clear. We all want out of Assaghanistan. Trump is leaving. There is no good way to leave. As soon as we are gone the Taliban will take back over at least part of the country. Not our problem. Some things cannot be fixed. Our beautiful American warriors will not be getting shot and blown up for nothing anymore.


2 posted on 03/05/2020 8:30:10 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

“Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo), expressed the skepticism”

Neocon carpetbagging princess.


3 posted on 03/05/2020 8:30:37 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino
"Neocon carpetbagging princess"

That doesn't make her wrong.

4 posted on 03/05/2020 8:37:29 AM PST by skimbell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Georgia Girl 2

“Lets be clear. We all want out of Assaghanistan. Trump is leaving. There is no good way to leave. As soon as we are gone the Taliban will take back over at least part of the country. Not our problem. Some things cannot be fixed. Our beautiful American warriors will not be getting shot and blown up for nothing anymore.”

I fully agree. Our biggest mistake was hanging around and rebuilding Afghanistan and not just bombing and leaving. And everytime they invite terrorists into their country to attack our country we should rinse and repeat until they stop doing so. Eventually they will get the message and stick to terrorizing each rather than the US


5 posted on 03/05/2020 8:38:40 AM PST by chuckee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Supporter of Pope Francis One World Abu Dhabi Movement Rabat Cardinal Lopez Romero was quoted as saying ” The stage of dialogue, which consisted of tolerance, is over.” Now, the “dialogue of friendship, hospitality, mutual knowledge, respect and openness to each other and collaboration to build a better world has begun.”

That so called dialog has yet to begin where all have been able to coexist peaceably has been is the State of Israel which Islamic theocracies like Iran want to destroy.

Followers of Islam will be laughably using those words as they chop the heads off of those who refuse to convert and destroy their places of worship.

Adherents of the Islam code Sharia not only claim, but truly believe that God has authorized them to kill those who refuse to submit to their version of Gods will.

That is a basic tenet of that religion. A claim which goes unchallenged which makes it a theocratic creed advocating a form of government that is to replace the existing one.

While it is understandable for atheists which most socialists are, not to approach that claim on a theological basis. Islam as construed with its portrayal of a mercyless evil deity approving using deception and deceit is an abomination which must be discredited and condemned.

But believing by bombing and killing those who believe in it will end its practice will not.It can only be done by attacking its assertions and tenets. Certainly not by ignoring and denying they do not exist.

It is bewildering why many Christian clergy including my Pope concerned about quote, political correctness, unquote, refuse to address what an insult to God Islam is and worse yet are unable to condemn then convince and convert its advocates and adherents they are followers of an evil creed . Instead Francis equates it with Judeo/Christianity because of its claim of being monotheistic

The Koran which was not given to Mohammed by God but by some angel .Demanding enforcement of sharia law which draws heavily from the Jews Torah whom they demand eliminating.It is a pseudo religious concoction using monotheistic selected texts, taken and misconstrued from the old (bible) and new testaments.


6 posted on 03/05/2020 8:59:27 AM PST by mosesdapoet (mosesdapoet aka L.J.Keslin posting here for the record hoping somebody might read and pass around)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Walk softly and carry a big level. HOORAY builder...er Chief.

https://www.infowars.com/trump-delivers-tearjerker-speech-at-maga-rally/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4LwpPQQskM

Keep an eye on fast & furious in their forward operating bases (mosques). Their madrasses and Pentagon (kaaba) may be problematic also. New Milestones? Qutb
would be ticked.

123,123,123,123.


7 posted on 03/05/2020 9:02:43 AM PST by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Walk softly and carry a big level. HOORAY builder...er Chief.

https://www.infowars.com/trump-delivers-tearjerker-speech-at-maga-rally/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4LwpPQQskM

Keep an eye on fast & furious in their forward operating bases (mosques). Their madrasses and Pentagon (kaaba) may be problematic also. New Milestones? Qutb
would be ticked.

123,123,123,123.


8 posted on 03/05/2020 9:03:00 AM PST by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

OOPS! Best conveyance of the thought (if there is such a thing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWghTVdDGDM


9 posted on 03/05/2020 9:11:25 AM PST by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Disingenuous comparison from the outset. We have nothing to gain by recognizing Cuba. We have quite a bit to gain (save?) in terms of money and lives by finally cutting bait on Afghanistan. The IC and probably Special Operations types will always be busy in that part of the world, so we’ll just have to smack them down in Afghanistan/Pakistan periodically as needed. There’s no need to maintain an endless ground presence like we have now.


10 posted on 03/05/2020 9:15:01 AM PST by Future Snake Eater (Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. - Dwight Eisenhower, 1957)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chuckee

So true. Once we are gone they will go back to raping and killing each other with great abandonment. I read somewhere that the tribal creed goes something like me against my brother, my brother and I against our father, my brother,father and I against our cousins, our tribe against all other tribes.


11 posted on 03/05/2020 9:22:49 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

It’s the Afghans that hold the prisoners, and they are not releasing them, hence this deal is falling apart. Let it fall apart. Bomb the hell out of them one last time, salt their fields, poison their water and get the hell out of Dodge. They are all Muslims for Christ’s sake. You can’t negotiate with death cultists.


12 posted on 03/05/2020 9:24:11 AM PST by RubinBoomer (PA for Trump 2020)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Rules of Engagement with Muslims

For hundreds of years the following has held true:

1) If infidels are present, Sunni and Shiite sects will unite to enslave (sexually, economically), convert, and annihilate all infidels

2) If no infidels present, Sunni will turn against Shiite to annihilate each other

The only question is, are you an infidel?


13 posted on 03/05/2020 9:36:46 AM PST by RideForever (We were born to be tested)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chuckee

If we just nuked the place do you think anyone would notice or even care? Seriously, think about it.


14 posted on 03/05/2020 10:46:59 AM PST by jmacusa (If we're all equal how is diversity our strength?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Georgia Girl 2

“I against my brother. My brother and I against you’’.


15 posted on 03/05/2020 10:48:24 AM PST by jmacusa (If we're all equal how is diversity our strength?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
“When your lying and bleeding on Afghanistan's plains/and the women come out to crave up what remains/roll over to your rifle and blow out your brains/and go to your god a solier''.- Kipling.
16 posted on 03/05/2020 10:52:22 AM PST by jmacusa (If we're all equal how is diversity our strength?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

“When your lying and bleeding on Afghanistan’s plains/and the women come out to crave up what remains/roll over to your rifle and blow out your brains/and go to your god a soldier”.- Rudyard Kipling.


Wise words from a Freemason.


17 posted on 03/05/2020 12:45:43 PM PST by RideForever (We were born to be tested)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

For a second I thought the title was Bargaining with the Tasmanian Devil...


18 posted on 03/05/2020 5:20:22 PM PST by Dundee (They gave up all their tomorrows for our today's.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

As I recall, the agreement offered to AFG and the Taliban indicated that AFG (not the US) would release 5000 Taliban prisoners. ...Then, AFG said they had no intention of releasing the prisoners.


19 posted on 03/06/2020 3:08:47 AM PST by octex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson