The Negotiation Process; Afghan Government and Taliban
Mustafa Munir -11748
Christopher Henderson
Academic Writing II – Section 009
13th July 2012
Many civil conflicts around the world have been ended politically. For example, the civil war in Cambodia ended when powerful members of the communist guerilla group, the Khmer Rouge, joined the official government of Cambodia. Likewise, the sectarian war in Northern Ireland was ended when Sinn Fein, the political wing of the terrorist group, the IRA, negotiated with the UK government and became part of the Northern Irish Government.
Some people think that the troubles in Afghanistan can be solved in a similar way, by encouraging negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban so they can become part of the Government of Afghanistan.
To what extent do you agree with this view?
Negotiation between governments and anti-government groups have worked well and had good results in the world. Many countries solved their problems and gave an end to war, that the good examples are civil war in Cambodia, the sectarian war in Northern Ireland and likewise many other similar cases. Afghanistan also started this process to give an end to war in Afghanistan. But, a question comes here that, is the situation of Afghanistan similar to the cases that have been solved by negotiation in the world or not? War in Afghanistan has many aspects, for example one aspect is that in Afghanistan there are three sides in war: The U.S., Afghanistan and the Taliban or may be two sides the U.S. and the Taliban and Afghanistan is only battlefield for these two sides of war. This hypothesis can be proved by two reasons. First, what is the aim of the Taliban by taking power in Afghanistan and second why the U.S. wants to eliminate the Taliban? Afghanistan has a strategic location in region that the Taliban has understood this issue very well and by getting power in Afghanistan they want to amplify their power which is very dangerous for the United States. The U.S. doesn’t want to have any
Christopher Henderson
Academic Writing II – Section 009
13th July 2012
Many civil conflicts around the world have been ended politically. For example, the civil war in Cambodia ended when powerful members of the communist guerilla group, the Khmer Rouge, joined the official government of Cambodia. Likewise, the sectarian war in Northern Ireland was ended when Sinn Fein, the political wing of the terrorist group, the IRA, negotiated with the UK government and became part of the Northern Irish Government.
Some people think that the troubles in Afghanistan can be solved in a similar way, by encouraging negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban so they can become part of the Government of Afghanistan.
To what extent do you agree with this view?
Negotiation between governments and anti-government groups have worked well and had good results in the world. Many countries solved their problems and gave an end to war, that the good examples are civil war in Cambodia, the sectarian war in Northern Ireland and likewise many other similar cases. Afghanistan also started this process to give an end to war in Afghanistan. But, a question comes here that, is the situation of Afghanistan similar to the cases that have been solved by negotiation in the world or not? War in Afghanistan has many aspects, for example one aspect is that in Afghanistan there are three sides in war: The U.S., Afghanistan and the Taliban or may be two sides the U.S. and the Taliban and Afghanistan is only battlefield for these two sides of war. This hypothesis can be proved by two reasons. First, what is the aim of the Taliban by taking power in Afghanistan and second why the U.S. wants to eliminate the Taliban? Afghanistan has a strategic location in region that the Taliban has understood this issue very well and by getting power in Afghanistan they want to amplify their power which is very dangerous for the United States. The U.S. doesn’t want to have any