To Talk or Not. Taliban Peace Conference

One of the key issues that were discussed at the recently concluded three day peace conference was convincing the Taliban and other insurgents to give up arms. The conference began on Tuesday and was concluded on Friday. Different delegates who represented a diverse set of Afghanistan nationals discussed ways to end this bitter conflict. For nine years the country has been affected by war and strife. Ever since the United States began its war on terror in Afghanistan the nation has been in turmoil. The democratic government that has come in has not been able to secure peace for the people of Afghanistan.

After years of fighting it seems that war will not be the solution to the whole crisis. This is what some leaders in Afghanistan think. More than fifteen hundred religious, tribal and political leaders and thinkers were part of this landmark conference. The leaders deliberated on the steps to be taken that will ensure peace in the region. The Taliban are not attending this peace conference or jirgah. They claim that it only involves supporters of Karzai government. Taliban are not willing to give up arms until the foreign troops leave Afghanistan.

While the Karzai think tank is looking for a way forward, they realize that there can be no long lasting peace without involving Taliban. They see Taliban as a major player to ensure long lasting peace. The main opposition party and its leader Mr Abdullah Abdullah have also refused to be part of this conference. With the key parties not being involved the success of the conference is being doubted. Another stumbling block for the discussions is the debate over militants being offered concession.

Many delegates believe that offering terrorists incentives for giving up violence is the way forward. The Afghan President Mr Karzai is amongst them. On being questioned outside the grand tent which is the venue for conference, delegates disagreed over whether the government should include Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar.

Karzai has repeatedly said Omar should be invited for talks, but only if he accepts the Afghan constitution and disbands the Al Qaeda. Karzai has been having discussions with other terrorist outfits. In March President Hamid Karzai held talks with a Taliban allied Hizb I Islami. Leaders feel that there will be no peace until there are no talks with major Taliban leaders. Some leaders such as Lal Mohammed the representative of the refugees feel that all lower level Taliban fighters and foot soldiers should be freed from government’s prisons. The main demand from the terrorists is that NATO troops to leave Afghanistan.

From a United States perspective it is hard to say that peace negotiated with the terrorist can be long lived. The western nations feel that it is too early to be dealing with terrorists unless and until they are defeated in the battlefield. Rationally thinking the Taliban have murdered innocent people in Afghanistan and are a threat to the entire world. Dealing with them would be in a way letting them go unpunished. As it has already been said in the case of Afghanistan if people there are not fighting foreigners they will start fighting each other. In the chaos that follows groups like Taliban and Al Qaeda may take over and all that the United States forces have achieved may be undone.