Quote Originally Posted by Dayuhan View Post
I pretty much agree with what he says: I don't think the Taliban are moderate in any way, and I don't think they've any interest in negotiation or compromise, except as a charade intended to move them closer to winning.
We can't tell any different about the U.S., right?
It's not like the state Department would go into negotiations with Afghan central governance and (fake) democracy as mere bargaining chips.

The U.S. overthrew a government on the cheap, chased all its actual enemies from the country.
That's usually when wars end. Mission accomplished, time to go home.

But then the extremism showed and the real war only began. Chasing the enemy from power and out of the country? Not enough. Extremists want more. A puppet state with a puppet government, that's needed! Not just any puppet government, but one of a specific model. And it must not include the political arm of the defeated enemy in any way.

Seriously, who's more extremist in Central Asia?
The Taliban are at least fighting at home.



Moreover, this entire conflict may be rested on a similar confusion about what the other side wants as the Vietnam War.
The Americans believed in the 60's that red Vietnamese were the spearhead of Communist world revolution, intent on pushing the first domino piece.
Meanwhile, the actually quite nationalist North Vietnamese wanted to re-unite their country and believed the Americans wanted indirect, imperialist rule over Vietnam - all of it.

I dare you to tell me there's no similar major misunderstanding floating in and about Afghanistan.