Taliban to take part in 'intra-Afghan' talks in Moscow

[TU Curmudgeon]

From ABC News

Taliban to take part in 'intra-Afghan' talks in Moscow
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The Taliban said Monday they will participate in "intra-Afghan" talks in Moscow designed to bring together prominent Afghan figures, including former President Hamid Karzai, opposition figures and tribal elders — but no Kabul government officials.

The two-day meeting in the Russian capital, which starts Tuesday, is seen as another step in a process aimed at resolving Afghanistan's 17-year war, one that has accelerated since the appointment last September of U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

Khalilzad has been holding separate negotiations with the Taliban even as he presses for a dialogue that would bring together all key Afghan players.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's office criticized the meeting in Moscow, saying that Afghan politicians attending the gathering were doing so "in order to gain power." Ghani's chief adviser, Fazel Fazly, tweeted that it was "regrettable."

COMMENT:-

Sounds promising. Of course it would sound even more promising if the legal government of Afghanistan was involved in determining how Afghanistan is going to be carved up.
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[DaveFagan]

From ABC News

Taliban to take part in 'intra-Afghan' talks in Moscow
​

The Taliban said Monday they will participate in "intra-Afghan" talks in Moscow designed to bring together prominent Afghan figures, including former President Hamid Karzai, opposition figures and tribal elders — but no Kabul government officials.

The two-day meeting in the Russian capital, which starts Tuesday, is seen as another step in a process aimed at resolving Afghanistan's 17-year war, one that has accelerated since the appointment last September of U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

Khalilzad has been holding separate negotiations with the Taliban even as he presses for a dialogue that would bring together all key Afghan players.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's office criticized the meeting in Moscow, saying that Afghan politicians attending the gathering were doing so "in order to gain power." Ghani's chief adviser, Fazel Fazly, tweeted that it was "regrettable."

COMMENT:-

Sounds promising. Of course it would sound even more promising if the legal government of Afghanistan was involved in determining how Afghanistan is going to be carved up.
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Perhaps the LEGAL?? gubmint of Afghanistan was a hand picked stooge of the USA and considered something less than a true Afghani patriot. The Taliban control about 60% of the Nation, so they own some votes and perhaps it's as much as 60%. The USA will be there so Ghani would just be an unnecessary echo chamber. I don't mean to imply that the USA would be so dastardly to manipulate gubmints. No Sireee. I mean to state that emphatically.
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