Reformed Taliban: Possible?

[lem34]

Well, we don't want such an extremist ideology next door to us. (Yes, I know, Iranian mullahs...)



It's as much for Pakistan's self-interest as for the Afghans. Like I wrote above, Pakistan has had enough of this loony ideology next door and seeping inside.

Dev mate I agree with you. But the problem is that it ie reforming the Taliban is a huge undertaking. It will cost resources that Pakistan can ill afford. And its not just ideology. I think the mess will stay a mess until Iran Pakistan and America at least sing of the same hymn sheet. These three parties need to agree on a way forward. Under current circumstances that seems unlikely

 

[illusion8]

I am talking about the period after the Soviet withdrawal and the NATO invasion. The warlords on all sides and of all ethnicities wreaked havoc on each other. If the Taliban did more harm, it was only a function of their strength, not their ferociousness.



I don't see how a Taliban commander can campaign for election with NATO forces around. I agree that their extremist ideollogy precludes democracy, and that is something that would need to be addressed. To be honest, in the short term, a more realistic scenario might be power sharing of powerful commanders. Proper democracy might have to wait until ethnic tensions defuse.



But the officer corps is predominantly NA. There aren't too many ex-Talibans in the officer corps, for obvious reasons.



Part of that might just be to present the image of fierce resistance against "infidel" invaders. After NATO leaves and they have the burden of actually delivering governance, they might be more tempered. Again, it would all depend if the external funding and backing for extremism is stopped.



Yes, this issue needs to be put to bed once and for all.



You are conflating two separate issues: religious extremism and geopolitical agenda.

It would be naive to think the geopolitical agendas will disappear. I am saying that the use of religious extremism to achieve geopolitical goals should not continue. As for the geopolitical wrangling, that is too ambitious to tackle at this point. We can talk about it, but let's just focus on the extremism for now.

Oh...ok so you are looking at only on the religious extremist angle....I thought you wanted a complete transformation of the Taliban and bring them to the frontline...thats a limited objectivity goal and good luck with that. Reforming them religiously is a matter of religion and best left to the individuals and the groups head. One can try talking to them to them to take a lesser hardline approach towards implementing it on the general public they might listen or might choose to ignore it. Lets hope they listen and allow a few concessions on it and not shoot people for not adhering to the strict islamic laws they like so much.

 

[53fd]

That post was for bilalhaider; Durand line is the problem and will remain a problem unless it's not solved by both sides and on our side you cannot expect any government to solve this issue this has to be solved by people no government of Afghanistan will have the right to take any decision on Durand line; Taliban was an example they tried but failed!

You failed to understand my post. Nowhere did my post refer to supporting the Taliban, my post was about being neutral/indifferent to the Taliban. Pakistan can maintain influence over Afghanistan without supporting the Taliban, but "burning bridges" with the Taliban and all other relevant groups in Afghanistan will severely reduce Pakistan's influence in Afghanistan. Pakistan must not burn bridges with anyone in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, as long as it does not affect Pakistan's security. And by influence, I am not referring to 'strategic depth', or an equivalent connotation.

Accepting the Durand Line is not solely a problem for Pashtuns in Afghanistan, but also for non-Pashtuns, & many Afghan non-Pashtun leaders have not accepted the validity of the Durand Line. So it is foolhardy to solely blame the Afghan Pashtuns for the follies of all, this is an Afghan problem, not a Pashtun one.

 

[MilSpec]

@OP, charity begins at home, bring TTP into national elections and vote for your beloved taliban!!!

 

[MilSpec]

Once again, thread invaded by clueless Indians who forget that atrocities were committed by BOTH sides in the post Soviet era. The Northern Alliance warlords were no better; it's just that the post-NATO narrative whitewashes their crimes.

The Taliban are, and have always been, a nationalist movement. They were infused with AQ ideology as a steroids dose to fight the Soviets, and that same dosage can be reversed.

the most important thing for the think tank here would be to go and read about taliban and their leadership. Taliban was never a nationalistic movement to begin with, hence the entire argument end right here.

Again there was no taliban leaders in soviet era, they were mujhideens of which barely 10% joined taliban, please learn about taliban before posting your la la land non-sense.

 

[Awesome]

Well, we don't want such an extremist ideology next door to us. (Yes, I know, Iranian mullahs...)



It's as much for Pakistan's self-interest as for the Afghans. Like I wrote above, Pakistan has had enough of this loony ideology next door and seeping inside.

This same ideology is followed by Iran and Saudi Arabia, but they do just fine as they don't harbor groups that are all over the world blowing up bombs. The whole world will go along a lot of things till they don't bring their crap to other people. Taliban itself was fine for the world, but when it harbored a global movement like AQ thats when it became a problem for the world.

 

[lem34]

That post was for bilalhaider; Durand line is the problem and will remain a problem unless it's not solved by both sides and on our side you cannot expect any government to solve this issue this has to be solved by people no government of Afghanistan will have the right to take any decision on Durand line; Taliban was an example they tried but failed!

I would have thought that Durand line is the least of Afghanistan's problems. In any event I don't see what this has to do with a possible reformed Taliban??

Taliban type State is not possible because nobody in the region:- Iran, Russia, Central Asian Republics and China want Afghanistan based on extremism and won't let that happen because Iranians fears about genocide of Hazaras and Chinese are fearful of Taliban extremism spillover in Xinjiang. Whole world is against Taliban. Its not 90s after all, things have changed so much, world can't ignore Afghanistan as it happened just after Soviet-Afghan war. I saw many Pakistanis expecting Russians to close supply routes to US but they didn't close that even with serious dispute over Missile Shield crisis. Taliban has become world headache and people never ignore their headache.

I think it is a question of what Afghani's want not what everyone else but the Afghani's want. All countries live with other countries with similar ideologies eg Saudi

Reformed Taliban?

Once an islamic extremist group, always an islamic extremist group.

I don't know how anyone could want to live under a group that forces you to live in the stone ages. The Taliban even banned music, that's just ridiculous.

Afghanistan will never prosper under the Taliban, it didn't in the past and it wont in the future if the Taliban come back.

As mentioned why can you live with Saudis and not Taliban. Saudis funded and recognised Taliban

 

[lem34]

Reformed in what sense? they give up on their ideology, give up arms, contest elections, become a frontline party in Afg, look at economic and social associations with the world including India.

Or tow Pakistan's line and do whatever Pakistan wants the Taliban to do.?

Why are you obsessed with Pakistan. What if Afghanis themselves want to tow Pakistan's line no doubt that is still unacceptable to the likes of you

 

[lem34]

So what I gather is everyone needs to change...not only the Taliban, Pakistan has to give up on what it wants the Taliban to do, give up its control on the Taliban, the Saudis need to stop funding the Taliban, The Irani's need to stop their support and give up on their motives if any with the Taliban and in the end the Taliban itself have to be ready to accept moderate islam as u point out.

SO the reformation of Pk/Iran/KSA has to prelude the reformation of the Taliban...do u think thats possible?

Once again can you Indian get off Pakistan's case I am fed up of you looking at everything in this world with the Pakistan prism