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RSSHow do we negotiate with the Taliban . . .
. . . if we can’t identify their leaders?
By Mehdi Hasan Published 24 November 2010 14:46
Had I watched such a story unfold on Spooks or 24, I would have shaken my head in disbelief and wondered how the scriptwriters thought they could get away with such a silly and unrealistic tale.
But it happened. In real life. In Afghanistan.
From the Daily Mail:
It sounds like the plot from a spy novel or James Bond film.
But Nato chiefs in Afghanistan have been severely embarrassed by a shopkeeper who fooled them into thinking he was a Taliban commander during secret peace negotiations.
Astonishingly, the ruse went on for two months, during which time the "contact" was paid a substantial sum of money.
He was also flown on a British military plane to three meetings designed to end the insurrection.
Despite suspicions about his identity, nobody disputed his claim to be Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, one of the Taliban's most senior leaders.
It was only months later – and after the handover of piles of cash to keep him coming back – that an old friend of Mr Mansour said they had the wrong man.
American officials have already given up hope that he was Mr Mansour, or even a member of the Taliban at all.
They now believe he was nothing more than a shopkeeper from the Pakistani city of Quetta.
The paper adds:
The fraudster even impressed negotiators with his moderate stance and, unlike other Taliban leaders, did not demand a withdrawal of foreign forces.
Travelling from Pakistan, he twice met Afghan President Hamid Karzai. It was during a third meeting, in the southern city of Kandahar, that a man who had known Mr Mansour years ago told Afghan officials that the Taliban leader at the table did not resemble him. Officials say it is not clear why he posed as Mr Mansour.
They believe it could have been for personal gain or he was possibly planted by the Pakistani intelligence service.
Others have said he could have been a Taliban agent, but all agreed that to pull off such a con meant he was "a very clever man".
A US official in Kabul added: "One would suspect that in our multibillion-dollar intel community there would be the means to differentiate between an authentic Quetta Shura emissary and a shopkeeper.
"On the other hand, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. It may have been Mullah Omar – posing as a shopkeeper. I'm sure that our intelligence whizzes wouldn't have known."
Tags: Afghanistan
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Mehdi Hasan is a contributing writer for the New Statesman and the co-author of Ed: The Milibands and the Making of a Labour Leader. He was the New Statesman's senior editor (politics) from 2009-12.
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45 comments
@javed, If Mehdi was not a muslim, he would not be an Islamist. Would he be?
He might still have been violence loving revolutionary or an apologist for terrorits, but not and Islamist.
Just as yourself.
And you have not answered one curious thing. Do you do part time? Not that I am demanding. I am just asking.
You're right about one thing RK. The problem is Pakistan, and always has been.
sorry what is india, were is india who is india or is it that crap i cleaned of the bottom of my shoe earlier hope that answers your question RK, ouch...
america and israhell are the root causes of all the conflicts in this world get your facts right dick head, it was mosaad and the cia who were behinde 9/11 not some old man hiding in a cave in afghanistan some were....
te he he he....
te he he he....
te he he he....
te he he he....
Lolz. Gulp Gulp.
@javed ...
Your ignorance makes you North Korean ally Palin's perfect Partner.
te he he he....
You are sooooo funny!!!
(your words not mine)
Palin's friend oh ally.
Lolz.
RK and Buckskins your both losers now go and crawl back from the holes you crawled out of....
How ridiculous. As that old pop song goes; "..lie to me; I promise I'll believe you.."
If we can't identify the so-called leaders why not just work with the local women?
c'mon RK dont be like that man...
Crushing the Taliban completely is probably beyond the Coalition, which will be exiting by around 2014. It's just possible that Afghan forces can do it (only about 4% of Afghans positively support the Taliban), but on current form that seems unlikely.
get it in to your thick skulls the afghans dont want to negotiate with the blood thirsty occupiers of their land, they want you out of their country stop embarrasing your selves, what is their to negotiate after you destroy their country and kill their women and children and abuse their people you want to negotiate now your not getting out of that easy....
You don't negotiate with the Taliban. You crush them, completely. These fanatics will never keep their word or stick to the agreements. Its like putting your trust and faith in the word of a drug addict.
I see the thread below Hasan's disgraceful excuse for an 'interview' with Lutfur Rahman has conveniently disappeared. Here is a link which which provides more useful background:
http://hurryupharry.org/2010/11/24/who-are-the-real-mccarthyites/
I provide this as a service for those who may be harbouring doubts as to the ideological credentials of those currently in the employ of the NS.
"How do we negotiate with the Taliban"
Bomb the mangey b@stards into the stone age...... Would the female martyrs get 72 stiff winkies?
Julian wrote, "I see the thread below Hasan's disgraceful excuse for an 'interview' with Lutfur Rahman has conveniently disappeared."
It's still there, with 33 comments: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/mehdi-hasan/2010/11/tower-hamlets-rahm...
and http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/11/tower-hamlets-believe-la... (64 comments)
Thank you Dave C. Never let it go!
why do all ur fuckers do dat shit we need our feedom iam pregnet with a pair of twins and i dont want them to be take away frm me so yeah like i said we need our freedom:(
-lala salas-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPeyxJ7vGU
A good video showing Mehdi practising the art of Taqiyya, telling the kafir one thing, and revealing his true feeling to a group of his coreligionists
swatantra nandanwar lives in fantasy world. He hasn't read Indian history. Taliban are the descendants of Mahmood Gazni, Ghori and many others who captured India again and again and again with much smaller armies. They defeated the British, the Soviets and now America and Europe combined. If there is peace and stability in Afghanistan, who knows, they will capture India like they did over a dozen times in the past.
@Riaz Ahmad ....thanks for standing naked.
You do not understand. Do you? we defeated Pakistan 4 times and Israel defeated Arab world combined in 6 days.
Gazni was let go so many times because of goodness of Hindu King. The Takqkiya Kabul used to play can fool the west not us anymore.
Soviets British and Americans fight with their hand tied in back by Human Rights Fools.
Indians have no such compulsion.
Indians did not send troops to Iraq, because Bush was fooling us. He was not supporting us against Pakistan and wanted our troops.
If Indian troops enter Afpak or Iraq, it can easily win both places.
Because you would not read a headline for every dead.
So keep your delusion to yourself.
there are 1 easy solution. Drop a nuke at afpak and say oh shit, we are so sorry!
there is 1 easy solution. Drop a nuke at afpak and say oh shit, we are so sorry!
Attempts to negotiate an exit from Afghanistan is a bit of face saving spin before leaving Afghanistan.
Negotiations are a way of passing the baby onto someone else, before making a run for it.
But run we must, except the negotiations are not going to plan (a bit like the war in general).
But as everyone knows its an (embarrassing)piece of nonsense, why bother, just leave!
And by way of apology, perhaps we could then send them Buckskins and Co to help with the mine clearance!
@ Javed...you came to 911. Did you not? Why blame the west, it is just defending itself.And yes speak for yourself, not for all Afgans. You were killing/ maiming them on the football fields. You were hijacking Indian Planes.
You Taliban!
And yes, UK may be out of Afpak, not the US. We are kicking out your plant Obama shortly.
The occupying forces are like rats trapped in a cage not knowing which way to run or were to hide, their trying to find ways to negotiate but what they forget this is not iraq the afghan people wont be bought of or sell their people out for a few measly dollars, the afghans are useing primitive weapons against the most hi-tec and advanced armys in the world but yet the afghans seem to have the upper hand dont that tell you something, when the occupiers fly low over villages at night and bomb women and children sleeping in their beds they get called heros back home but the people under occupation who are trying to defend them selves from a blood thirsty, brutal occupier are seen as the terroists how corrupt the media is...
The only way to get this working is bomb Pakistani side.
I am reminded of problems I saw when growing up in India. We lived in a border, which was just a 40 foot road, of 2 Juridictions. According to law police in one juridiction could only comprehend people who committed the crime in that juridiction. With the result that Criminals from either side will commit crime on the other side. With the result that the Police could only catch the criminal during the time of crime, a very short window.
The law was changed allowing the police of other juridiction to comprehend a criminal for few days by which time time they could then get the case transferred.
Offcourse in this case it means crossing the border.
No kore kids gloves.
The only way to get this working is bomb Pakistani side.
I am reminded of problems I saw when growing up in India. We lived in a border, which was just a 40 foot road, of 2 Juridictions. According to law police in one juridiction could only comprehend people who committed the crime in that juridiction. With the result that Criminals from either side will commit crime on the other side. With the result that the Police could only catch the criminal during the time of crime, a very short window.
The law was changed allowing the police of other juridiction to comprehend a criminal for few days by which time time they could then get the case transferred.
Offcourse in this case it means crossing the border.
No more kids gloves.
your argument is so pathetic about september 11, the west has been medling in muslim countrys long before september 11 took place, look at the bias when it comes to the israel, palestinian conflict, look at the first iraq invasion the list is endless so dont give me that crap about 9/11, america lost a few thousand, muslims have lost millions amongst them countless women and children, and as i explained to you yesterday i've never heard of india before who and were is india cause if it was that crap at the bottom of my shoe yesterday i've already cleaned it off loser....
RK is a loser, RK is a loser, RK cant take loseing, bring it on baby just like coca-cola i'm loving it....
@Javed do you do part time too?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/24/uk-based-taliban-afghanistan
And Mehdi?
@Javed, The Nato Troops are like having Supercomputer with a Keyboard on which they cannot type. You know why? Because before evry single keystroke they have to take the permission of Amnesty International.
Also Afpaks fought with Soviets using the weapons supplied by US. Even now much of the weapon is supplied by ISI using the western money.
Leave this to Indians and we will show you your place on earth.
Afganies are no more brave than British or American but you have your traitors and we have our. The problem is because of democracy our traitors rule us. Your dont.
i bet i know what RK is doing right now? Licking his wounds... ah ha ha ha ha i am so funny....
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Buy them a few donkeys and then upgrade them to horses. The Taliban will think that they are getting a great deal.
Send Tim Westwood to pimp their caves with sound effects!!!
Theres nothing anyone can say to stop these Taliban fighters, its a way of life for them, its a paid job. Peace-n-prosparity is not what makes this scum tick, their driven by the desire to shoot their weapons and having the coalition forces in their sights, gives them the moving targets to compleate their dream! The best way in mho, is to give our lads the proper tools to close them down, instead of going behind the backs of soldiers promising them whatever their hearts desire! If anyone is in the wrong; its the politicians that sent our lads/lasses out there in the first place! Theres no way of stopping these nutters other than using the correct weapons!
@javed, why do you do part time here and part time there?
@@ I can understand people in India, Pakistan, Afganistan and other third world wanting to blow themselves for no reason...because their life seems worse than being dead. (I mean not in derogatory way, but in a painful way)
But why someone will choose to do part time mate?
Dear Mehdi,
As I'm sure you know only too well,
to get the answer we want is easy. All we need to do is ask the right person.
We have more experts on Afghanistan now as there have ever been, but it can never be our country and we should leave such places well alone and concentrate on putting our own houses in order, then trust that they will do the same with there's in time.
the occupiers are getting their back sides wooped in afghanistan and they cant take the humiliation, than again you can cheat and nuce the place, the occupiers only know how to fight high up from the sky on the ground they are like trapped rats...
RK u know the R in your name do's it stand for rat? ha ha ha got you again man, float like a butterfly sting like a bee, any jibe your out in 5, bring it on baby i'm ready for you....
Mehdi's only crime is his a muslim half you islamaphobes that attack him wouldn't if he happened to be a non muslim....
Oh no. Not another article on lexicography, Mehdi.
whens israel, or america ever listened or taken a blind bit of notice to what amnesty internationals got to say, the problem is the right wing media in this country controlled by the zio-facist Rupert Murdoch only shows the people what he wants to show them and theirs mugs out their who believe it, theirs civillians being killed everyday in afghanistan and us led drone strikes in pakistan but you only get to hear when one of your so called brave soldiars dies no matter how much blood his got on his hands of innocent women and children as the media try to potray him as a hero...
wallace c'mon be fair you've got your fair share of correct weapons out their compared to what the afghans have got, why dont you people just accept you under estimated them and your getting your back sides kicked out their...