First Day of Pakistan’s Taliban Talks ‘Cordial and Friendly’
Both Sides Trading List of Demands
The talks between Pakistan’s government and representatives for the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) finally opened today, two days late, with a four-hour session during which both sides exchanged a list of demands.
Officials on both sides termed the talks “cordial and friendly,” and said that the talks appeared less to be two negotiating committees and instead just everyone working to try to find a middle ground.
That’s a big change from the gloomy assessment after the end of Tuesday, when the talks were supposed to begin and the Pakistani government no-showed, saying they wanted proof the negotiators were authorized to make a deal.
The talks today took place in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad at a government office, likely an attempt to preempt the risk of US drone strikes against TTP negotiators. The last attempt at organizing talks was cancelled after TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud was assassinated by the US just hours before the first meeting.
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Bruce Richardson
February 7th, 2014 at 5:01 am
Excellent article. Often-times we are too quick to demonize an effort or movement. Swayed by a media that seems more an arm of the government than independent reportage. Lest we forget, the Taliban was born in the quagmire termed the Soviet/Afghan War. A war that killed more than two-million Afghans, and turned their economy and habitat to utter rubble. In the wake, a soviet/aligned collaborating group called the Northern Alliance vied for power. A bit later, the US declared that Afghanistan was "the hub of terrorism" worldwide. The US allegation is baseless, no Afghan nor Afghanistan played a role in 9/11. Furthermore, the Taliban offered to extradite Osama bin Laden to the US authority, but were ignored. Negotiations for the Trans-Afghan Pipeline were faltering for the US. It has been held by a growing number of researchers that "regime change: to improve the US negotiating position was the real motive for the US attack. All through this the Taliban sought to rid the country of an undesirable element for the good of the country. Now, they are talking with the hope of bringing peace to the country. It comes as no surprise therefore that as the article suggests "the Taliban are cordial and friendly in their respective deliberations.