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May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Release several Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay; give them headquarters as confidence-building measure?
By
Tom A. Peter
Obama administration still considering direct negotiations with terrorists. Afghan officials likewise mulling unconventional strategy
JewishWorldReview.com |
 ABUL— (TCSM)
With the American-led war in Afghanistan well into its tenth year, Afghan and American officials are laying the foundations for a Taliban office in Qatar.
At this point it's just negotiations. But among American and NATO officials, talks with the Taliban have become a major priority in the past year.
Along with creating a physical address for the Taliban, a confidence-building measure of releasing several Taliban leaders from Guantanamo Bay into house arrest is also being considered.
Over the course of the past year, reconciliation efforts with the Taliban and other insurgent groups have seen a number of false starts, setbacks, and outright failures. Most recently, American officials who claimed they were near a breakthrough with the Taliban saw negotiations crumble due to objections from Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"If the Taliban intend to operate from an office in Qatar, we could see a development in the peace process," says Waliullah Rahmani, executive director of the Kabul Center for Strategic Studies. "An office in Qatar for the Taliban would make them more independent of Pakistan and the ISI. It would give them more ground to maneuver in the peace process with the Afghan government and the international community."
ALTERNATIVE TO PAKISTAN?
Presently, most of the Taliban leadership is believed to be based in Pakistan. International and Afghan officials hoped Afghanistan's neighbor would act as an interlocutor in potential talks. Those hopes have faded amid recent tensions, culminating in Pakistan's boycott of the second Bonn Conference to discuss Afghanistan's future.
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Negotiations took another hit this month when Mr. Karzai put an end to talks between the Taliban and the US and Germany, saying he would not support negotiations that excluded the Afghan government. The president pulled his diplomats from Qatar in protest of the Qatari government not consulting Kabul about establishing a Taliban office there.
But Qatar makes sense geographically, with the small emirate a hub of travel to and from Afghanistan. After the brief squabble, talks seem to be moving slowly forward once more, with Karzai saying earlier this week that he would support the creation of a Taliban address in Qatar, but that he would prefer a location in Turkey or Saudi Arabia.
"The Afghan government and Karzai emphasized that they should be included in the process. They're afraid that if they are left out of this process it won't work," says Abdul Ghafoor Liwal, director of the Regional Studies Center of Afghanistan. "The three sides of this political triangle are the Taliban, the Afghan government, and the international community, especially the United States. Therefore, the Afghan government wants to be a part of the process and aware of what's going on."
Now that Afghan and Western officials have agreed on the potential creation of a Taliban office, the next major sticking point may prove the release of Taliban prisoners in American custody. Among others, the Taliban has asked for the release of Mohammed Fazl, a senior member of the organization who stands charged with a number of crimes committed against Afghan Shiites during the Taliban's rule.
Aside from complications getting American congressional approval to release Taliban detainees, particularly as the US turns towards a presidential election, there is also debate whether they would be released to house arrest in Afghanistan or a third country like Qatar near the proposed Taliban headquarters.
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© 2012, The Christian Science Monitor
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