Pakistan can help broker U.S.-Taliban talks

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CNN) -- The Pakistan military has declared that not only is it in contact with Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar but that it can bring him and other commanders to the negotiating table with the United States. Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Afghan Taliban leader, has been a fugitive from U.S.-led forces since 2001. The acknowledgment of on-going communication with Taliban forces using sanctuary in Pakistan to launch military strikes against U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan is part of a new diplomatic overture to help the Obama administration find an end to the long-running conflict. But a spokesman for Pakistani Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) disputed CNN's report, which was based on an exclusive interview with ISPR director general Maj. Athar Abbas. In the interview, Abbas said in return for any role as a broker between the United States and the Taliban, Pakistan wants concessions from Washington over Islamabad's concerns with longtime rival India. Read a transcript of the interview And senior U.S. officials have told CNN the Obama administration is willing both to talk to top Taliban leaders and to raise some of Pakistan's concerns with India. Watch how Pakistan's military says they can bring Mullah Omar to the table » With ISAF commanders conceding the military fight against the Taliban in key areas of Afghanistan is at a "stalemate" and that a recent influx of American combat troops is hoped to break the deadlock, the consensus among military and diplomatic figures in the region is that the United States cannot win the war in Afghanistan militarily. Most believe a resolution to the conflict will ultimately be a political, and economic, one rather than a military victory that will necessitate negotiations with the Taliban. Such a resolution will have to be struck with the involvement of Pakistan, India, Iran and possibly Saudi Arabia, as well as NATO and the United States

 

[muse]

Lets disect it - "I have come to ..." So first he sets up the "problem" that he hopes offer "the" solution to -- Next a section of a Talib Video plays, for those who missed the label and most everyone will, we are led to think that it is CNN among the Talib - we wonder how it is that the Taloib have allowed this CNN reporter and cameraman among them - He goes on tell us that villagers are fighting Taliban in the Mountain in some distance - we never see the fighting or the villagers or the talib.

Next he tells us that the Pakistan army "tolerates" the taliban -- After a military operation in Swat and operations on going through out the FATA against the talib, we now must accept that while the Pakistan army kills the Talib and and suffers casulaties inflicted by the Talib, the Pakistan army "tolerates" the talib.

Help me - which side is up - oh, wait CNN will tell us. Some of the pakistan army is tolerating the talib and some are fighting against it - it's a absurd movie, but it's from the "most trusted network" remember.

We then move on to Gen Abbas, who says that intel maintains access to all sides and parties -- then he asks if the Pakistanis can help the US talk to all sides - next cut to Hamid Gul, talib supporter, islamist lune.

The most trusted network -- the absurd as reality - why not?, it's Pakistan.

US media comes with the story, it captures images, it then ties it to the storyline they came with.

ISPR transcripts do not match the CNN presentation -- How is that for "most trusted network"

response.

Ware: I mean, to what degree can Pakistan’s relationships with both sides — both with the formal Mujahedeen fighters and with America, be a value today in trying to broker a solution? I mean, Pakistan’s long had relationships with Hikmatyar, Haqqani, with the Pashtun tribes. To some degree, those relationships of course naturally continue. How can you use those relationships with these forces who were once friends of America, and now fighting America, of value to bring a solution?

Abbas: That’s right, the ISI was in the forefront of the whole struggle against the Soviets. Now by maintaining the contact with the organisations like what you have mentioned of Hikmatyar and Haqqani, doesn’t mean that the state as a policy is providing them the physical support or the funding or the training. It doesn’t mean that...But having said that, no intelligence organisation in the world shuts its last door on any other organisation. So therefore the contacts are there. The communication remains. But it doesn’t mean that you endorse what they are doing in Afghanistan.

As for the mention of India, Gen Abbas talks, earlier in the interview, about India’s ingress in Afghanistan and how Pakistan perceives the presence and the activities flowing out of that ingress. At no point did he say that if Pakistan were to help America talk to the Taliban it would need the quid pro quo of concessions from the US vis-à-vis India.

It does not seem that Mr Ware, the CNN reporter, was up to some mischief. But someone else was. If not that then the way the story has been put out is a case of professional incompetence of a high order. Also, did Mr Ware bother to check what someone in the newsroom was doing? If not, next time he should