Talking heads were indignant this week about the Americans proposing peace talks with the Taliban, saying that this was an affront to victims of the Afghan war and the families of fallen troops.  ‘These guys have killed and maimed soldiers and civilians and are totally unrepentant about it … and you want peace talks with such monsters?’

 

Well, the easiest answer is that one makes peace with enemies not friends.

Others might say: what do you expect when this US president told the enemy exactly when he would be withdrawing the marines from Afghanistan? If you run the war in such a farcical manner, how can you expect the peace process making any sense either?

The whole thing is very sad and, yes, a dreadful betrayal of the sacrifice by America’s fighting men and women.  The harsh reality is that, these days, Western troops are sent into battle with one hand tied behind their backs.  If a commander is sending troops into battle, the mission statement must be to achieve total destruction of the enemy or its unconditional surrender.

No question, the Taliban was an enemy that needed to be totally destroyed. No question America had the firepower to achieve this.  Sadly there was simply not enough political will.

But I come back to the talking heads.

These are the same pundits who keep pressing Israel to talk to Hamas. 

‘These guys have killed and maimed soldiers and civilians and are totally unrepentant about it … and you want peace talks with such monsters?’  

What hypocrisy!

[If you're in any doubt about what kind of monsters we are dealing with, click the following link .... but ONLY if you've got the stomach for it. Really ... TALIBAN ]