February 19, 2015
By Mehreen Zahra-Malid and Hamid Shalizi
(Reuters) - Senior Pakistani army, Afghan and diplomatic officials (click here) said on Thursday the Afghan Taliban had signalled they were willing to open peace talks with Kabul.
The reports raised hopes for a breakthrough in peace efforts following the withdrawal of most U.S.-led troops last year, and of a boost for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
The renewed push for negotiations appeared to be driven by evolving relationships between Afghanistan, Pakistan and China, which recently offered to help broker talks.
On Thursday, a senior Pakistani military official said Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, told Ghani during a visit this week the Taliban were willing to begin negotiations as early as March.
"They have expressed their willingness and there will be progress in March. But these things are not so quick and easy," the official, who is close to the army chief, told Reuters on condition of anonymity....
China is already in prisoner releases. This is not a minor interest by China. China shares a narrow border with Afghanistan. It has also seen an uptick in domestic terrorism this past year. There are many reasons why China and other countries will honor the small arms treaties, this is only one of them.
Ever since President Obama spent time with General Secretary Xi Jinping in November of 2014 the Chinese leader has expressed a great deal of influence within it's international sphere. China has had it's own awakening to insure it's influence throughout it's trading partners.
China is peddling peace and prosperity with it's trading partners. It and other countries are willing to put the improvement of their people's economic growth first. It is a known fact that when a country spends valuable resources on war preparedness, it's people are placed on the shelf only to continue a life of impoverishment. China wants to end the poverty within it's sphere and grow economies as a benevolent power. I think it will be successful and The West will have viable trading partners as well due to the leadership China in what are normally very difficult countries to foster such growth.
The West doesn't realize how difficult it is to actually change the circumstances of Third World countries. Iraq is an example of American Nation Building. It is too much of a reach. But, most of those opposing the war knew it would be a disaster. How can a country like Iraq simply change overnight as with a dusting of fairy dust. It's ridiculous to conceive. China, however, has been able to move these countries forward to focus on their people and better outcomes. China has done so without spending large amounts of their budget without a return on that investment.
When the USA implements nation building it starts with the top and works down. China only provides direction to the activity of local authorities and intervenes when it diverges from the 5 year plan. The governance is very different. China's economic model doesn't require war, it only asks for cooperation. The governance isn't disturbed. Human rights are discussed as a Third World trade partner is brought into China's sphere of influence. That is the moral fabric of China's international relations. Human rights is not a political issue with China, it is a practicle issue that improves the people's quality of life along with it's work ethic and output.
With America involved in multiple front wars, one might ask, how many wars is China involved with? Is there any doubt that China is leading a global revolution based in economic growth? It is believed to be surpassing the USA in GDP? That isn't an economic advantage? If China has a trading alliance with every country in Central and South America, what does that say about the USA in the same hemisphere?
The USA's military is not needed in Afghanistan. It should never be an imperial power for any foreign president.These countries are divided ethnically. The USA cannot simply pledge an allegiance to the cowboy crowned by the USA to be the one with the white hat. It is far more complicated than that.
February 20, 2015
By Hamid Shalzi
...Hopes for a peace process (click here) were raised on Thursday when Pakistani and Afghan officials said members of the Taliban leadership had signaled they were willing to begin talks as soon as next month.
The apparent Taliban change of position was said to have been made under pressure from Pakistan, although the official Taliban spokesman denied any move toward negotiations with the Afghan government. Pakistan has been under pressure from China, which is concerned about Islamists among its Muslim minority, to step up pressure against militants.Three senior Afghan police and intelligence officials described the operation last month to capture ethnic Uighur militants, members of a separatist movement opposed to Beijing's rule over the Xinjiang region, which is home to the Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim Uighurs....
By Mehreen Zahra-Malid and Hamid Shalizi
(Reuters) - Senior Pakistani army, Afghan and diplomatic officials (click here) said on Thursday the Afghan Taliban had signalled they were willing to open peace talks with Kabul.
The reports raised hopes for a breakthrough in peace efforts following the withdrawal of most U.S.-led troops last year, and of a boost for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
The renewed push for negotiations appeared to be driven by evolving relationships between Afghanistan, Pakistan and China, which recently offered to help broker talks.
On Thursday, a senior Pakistani military official said Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, told Ghani during a visit this week the Taliban were willing to begin negotiations as early as March.
"They have expressed their willingness and there will be progress in March. But these things are not so quick and easy," the official, who is close to the army chief, told Reuters on condition of anonymity....
China is already in prisoner releases. This is not a minor interest by China. China shares a narrow border with Afghanistan. It has also seen an uptick in domestic terrorism this past year. There are many reasons why China and other countries will honor the small arms treaties, this is only one of them.
Ever since President Obama spent time with General Secretary Xi Jinping in November of 2014 the Chinese leader has expressed a great deal of influence within it's international sphere. China has had it's own awakening to insure it's influence throughout it's trading partners.
China is peddling peace and prosperity with it's trading partners. It and other countries are willing to put the improvement of their people's economic growth first. It is a known fact that when a country spends valuable resources on war preparedness, it's people are placed on the shelf only to continue a life of impoverishment. China wants to end the poverty within it's sphere and grow economies as a benevolent power. I think it will be successful and The West will have viable trading partners as well due to the leadership China in what are normally very difficult countries to foster such growth.
The West doesn't realize how difficult it is to actually change the circumstances of Third World countries. Iraq is an example of American Nation Building. It is too much of a reach. But, most of those opposing the war knew it would be a disaster. How can a country like Iraq simply change overnight as with a dusting of fairy dust. It's ridiculous to conceive. China, however, has been able to move these countries forward to focus on their people and better outcomes. China has done so without spending large amounts of their budget without a return on that investment.
When the USA implements nation building it starts with the top and works down. China only provides direction to the activity of local authorities and intervenes when it diverges from the 5 year plan. The governance is very different. China's economic model doesn't require war, it only asks for cooperation. The governance isn't disturbed. Human rights are discussed as a Third World trade partner is brought into China's sphere of influence. That is the moral fabric of China's international relations. Human rights is not a political issue with China, it is a practicle issue that improves the people's quality of life along with it's work ethic and output.
With America involved in multiple front wars, one might ask, how many wars is China involved with? Is there any doubt that China is leading a global revolution based in economic growth? It is believed to be surpassing the USA in GDP? That isn't an economic advantage? If China has a trading alliance with every country in Central and South America, what does that say about the USA in the same hemisphere?
The USA's military is not needed in Afghanistan. It should never be an imperial power for any foreign president.These countries are divided ethnically. The USA cannot simply pledge an allegiance to the cowboy crowned by the USA to be the one with the white hat. It is far more complicated than that.
By Hamid Shalzi
...Hopes for a peace process (click here) were raised on Thursday when Pakistani and Afghan officials said members of the Taliban leadership had signaled they were willing to begin talks as soon as next month.
The apparent Taliban change of position was said to have been made under pressure from Pakistan, although the official Taliban spokesman denied any move toward negotiations with the Afghan government. Pakistan has been under pressure from China, which is concerned about Islamists among its Muslim minority, to step up pressure against militants.Three senior Afghan police and intelligence officials described the operation last month to capture ethnic Uighur militants, members of a separatist movement opposed to Beijing's rule over the Xinjiang region, which is home to the Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim Uighurs....
