Obama floats talking with Taliban view story

cnn.com — President Obama says the United States is open to reaching out to some moderate voices in the Taliban, but critics say that's not the right approach.

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Comments (23)

- terrible_machine
Hmmm.

Sure, go out there and talk to these so-called moderate voices.
Seriously, Taliban is a form of government in another country and as I have stated before, who the hell is the u.s.a. to critizice, invade, or try to change another sovereign state? So maybe they ride on camels, maybe they treat their women, unlike women in the u.s. would like to be treated....so what?? They are them and we are us..way over here.
Americans are no paragon of virtue...so get over that bullshit.
Obey go over and talk to these folk, offer a hand in friendship and let us all help pull ourselves out of this mess.
Only cooperation between sovereing nations will be able to shake off these wallstreet and world bank sleaze bags!
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- UnitedStates1776
This issue is neither side is winning. We are not winning, but neither is the Taliban. And as we ramp up more forces in Afghanistan it is more likely that we will start winning. So I think that there is some incentive for moderate Taliban to engage in discussions. I don't hold too much hope for discussions with a group that is so extreme but it would be worth the effort to see what might emerge from talking with the moderates.
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- BaaBaaBlacksheep27
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. There's good strategy in that saying. Could it be that common sense is starting to break out?
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- ptemple2k
Talk with the Taliban...give me a break...how long is their word good for; are their intentions ever good except when it is in their best interest?

Negotiating is not an option sometimes; history has proven that out.
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- ColoradoSon
I can't help but thinking about the old addage about 10 million flies. In this situation, we have a good majority of the non-mentally ill (conservative) population remarking how the President is taking our country down from within. What is it about "Sleeping With The Enemy" these halfwits do not understand? They are so focused on change they don't see the eminent downfall of the U.S. as a result of Mr Know It All in office. Wow, what a lack of experience will do for you!
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- hatefree1
I being a true Middle Eastern American and having lived in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia can see that Obama has the moral courage and insight to ask for dialogues with Taliban and Iran. We are not after Taliban but Alqaida. Isolating Alqaida is the best way to deal with the situation. Secondly the world need to know that the sufferings of Palestinian, the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir area all interlinked. We cannot convince people of Afghanistan or Pakistan of our friendship by being unfair and unjust to Palestinians. Shah Nawaz Seattle
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- dextor
I don't even need to read the article, the fact that we have to ask a question so basic is why our government is so screwed along side the media who is always spitting out their own bias opinions to boot.

Of course "Talking" should take place and it should never stop. It's what we teach our pre-school children. We should "talk" and NOT "fight". We should also be talking with every other country we have issue with. Just because things are not like they are in the western world doesn't mean we ever should stop talking. It's the iditios (...like bush, cheney, rumsfield, and others, that should be locked away incidently) that really get relations messed up by putting the blinders up. Their like the adolescents that hold their breath and make their face turn blue if they don't get their way. Enough of the garbage already.
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- lescrocmorebull
Only if your president is in the mix of the MUSLIM world and has Muslim blood in his veins
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- unemployed_american
to talk with them is to accept their ways of beating children and women, killing those who do not agree to follow their radicalism. If this is the new administration way of protecting the USA they missed the bus. Sounds like what Chamberlin did trusting Hitler back in 39.
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- troyo33
"If you keep saying the Taliban are winning, what incentive is there now for individuals who are fighting against us to come over to us," he said on CNN's "American Morning."- Hmm. Didn't the generals in Vietnam say the same thing? "We are winning this war in Vietnam!" How did that turn out Gary? And if he is the one who led CIA operatives in Afghanistan after 9/11, isn't he the one who let Osama get away?? Why is anyone listening to him?
He said you can't reach out as groups but only individuals. So what if I reach out and get multiple individuals to come over to our side. Isn't that a group? Catch Osama and then get back to me Gary.
At least Obama is actually analyzing this situation unlike our past President. I will wait to see what he comes up with.
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- gene_zilla
The Muslim world has been at war with the non Muslin world for 1300 years. History has shown that the only way to make peace with Islam is to submit to Islam. So is Obama, aka The Messiah, going to submit to the Muslims? That is the only final outcome that they will accept.
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- dindo
Talking with them is like talking with a rattlesnake, you are only going to get bitten.
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- robertplattbell
There are three choices here:

1. Since these people are not about to repudiate their beliefs and just "go away" the only way to get rid of them would be to kill them all, which probably would require nuclear weapons. That would kill a lot of collateral civilians and probably start WW III.

2. You can send tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan and fight a perpetual guerllia war for 20 years, expanding over the border into Pakistan as well (which may trigger a nuclear event also). Again, the Taliban is not going to go "gee, I guess we were wrong" and pack up their things and go away somewhere. Russia tried this (remember?) and the Taliban threw them out after 10 years.

3. You can talk to the more reasonable elements and tell them they can have their own autonomous region, provided they do not engage in terror or attack their neighbors. This is what worked in Iraq, not the "surge" as advertised. This policy of "containment" would have to be augmented by strict controls. Eventually, many folks would defect from the Taliban as they realize their form of government insures a stone age standard of living.

Those are the only choices. There is no #4 or #5.

#1 won't work. #2 is too costly. #3? I don't like it any more than anyone else. But the War in Iraq has illustrated the limits of US Power.
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- littlebear
Sure, Danny Pearl tried to talk with the Taliban.
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- dleon63
Absolutely! If you are a sexist.
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- donhole
america is a scam, period. thats why theres a line 500 miles long waitng to take a poke at us....
beginning with the "native americans" . 'fess up or die imho.
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1. - lescrocmorebull
  @donhole Sounds like your a SCAM, if you live in America then leave, If you do not live in America then you one of those in the 500 mile long line, they can not wait to take our money but they want more and then they want to stab us in the back. So you either LOVE AMERICA OR YOU CAN LEAVE AMERICA, when you leave please take Obama and his cronies with him along with Obamism, Socialism and Surenderism. You also seem to forget that the Native Americans were here first, it is the Europeans and like who came to what is now America and changed their ways. BYE have a nice journey.
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- Fargon
Why this stupid question. Of course it's smart to talk them. It's smart to talk to all comers. Hello? It's talk. How can it hurt to have a dialog. It can only help to find out our differences one on one.
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- jeny
I think that those are the very rude and feelingness peoples. They never change their policies if we all not with each other and support each other. :):):)
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1. - lescrocmorebull
  @jeny Unfortuntally Jeny, this has been tried before to talk to the radial Terriost groups, rather it be the current one or ones from the past, We tried it with Japan, Chamberlien tried it with the Germans, it does not work. You do not talk to Terriorist, if you do they will get into your back pocket and stab you in the back!. Life does not work that way you may talk to your spouse and hope u do not get stabed but even that is not a sure thing.
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2. - troyo33
  @lescrocmorebull We are not talking about Appeasement. And we did not try to talk to Japan. We are talking about reaching out to more moderate wings of the Taliban. The radicals will still be fought and killed. If we don't offer a choice, the only choice will be to fight us.
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- Repaired
I think Obama should go alone... walk right up in the middle of one of the training camps.
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1. - lescrocmorebull
  @Repaired
  I second your motion but there needs to be some clarification on this! Not only Obama should go, but he must also take Pelosi, Biden, Holder and those other's who want to drive America in Socialism/Obamism and Surenderism!. Take them all!.
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