We have pledged to the Afghan people, and to the world, that we will diligently work towards bringing stability and peace in Afghanistan. For this goal and for the benefit of the Afghans we have supported the Afghan government’s decision to hold peace negotiations with the Taliban. Let us make it clear, the reconciliation and reintegration is an Afghan led and Afghan initiated process and we support their decision. The peace negotiations can ultimately and solely be conducted by the Afghans themselves, when they choose to solve their differences through peaceful means rather than violence.
As our Secretary of State has said, “With whomever we talk, they have to abide by the following: They must renounce violence. They must renounce any and all ties to Al Qaeda. And most importantly, for the future of Afghanistan, they must commit to abide by the laws and constitution of Afghanistan, which protect the rights of ethnic minorities and women".
Unfortunately, there will be those terrorists who want to continue attacking innocent civilians to achieve their political goals. On the other hand, some are willing to abandon committing suicide attacks, bombing civilian infrastructure and indiscriminately killing innocent civilians. Therefore as our leaders have explained, “*We’re going to fight where we need to fight. We will talk if there’s an opportunity to talk. And we will keep building towards a more secure, stable future for Afghanistan.*
Secretary Clinton also made it clear that there are some issues that cannot be compromised in these negotiations, “So I am very clear that I am not going to support any peace agreement that gives up the hard-won rights of the Afghan people. And in particular, I have a commitment to the women of Afghanistan.” Our commitment to the Afghan people and to the region is long standing. To achieve peace and stability for all, it is necessary to think of all possibilities. It is important to recognize that looking for alternative ways of achieving this goal is not a sign of weakness. It also does not mean that we have accepted defeat.
Jeez – is there any way you could write your posts in a less official propagandist style? You make it sound like you are translating from the North Korean style book. I don’t think you are furthering the cause of communication or understanding.
i dont understand why the Americans want to negotiate with the terrorists, for the past 10 eaysr they have been telling the world and their own people that they can defeat the terrorists...
It is important to recognize that looking for alternative ways of achieving this goal is not a sign of weakness. It also does not mean that we have accepted defeat.
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First of all we would like to thank the members of this forum for taking the time to read our posts and allowing us to better explain our position in regards to certain issues. To the best of our ability and to the extent that the posed questions and concerns relate to us, we try to address them. Please keep in mind that we engage on multiple forums with a vast number of people, and if we fall short in answering every question and concern, it does not mean that we do not make the effort to do so, nor does it mean that we are not interested in responding back. Having said this, we would like to direct your attention to each and every comment below our posted thread. Although we appreciate and respect people’s opinions and responses, which particular comment or post asks for our participation regarding the topic of this thread?
Dear Ali_Syed,
As we have already stated in our initial post, peace negotiations donot signal defeat, nor is this our prerogative. The peace initiative was the decision of the Afghan government and is led by the Afghan government. Do you see a Taliban regime in Afghanistan? Have we not witnessed the Afghan people choose a government, work hard to develop their security forces, their army and other civil and government institutions? Are we not witnessing the growing development in the field of education, medical aid, infrastructure, and technology in Afghanistan compared to the Taliban regime? Do all of these achievements, by the Afghans and with the help of the international community, mean that we are looking for a quick exit, or that we and our Afghan partners have been defeated? No, we have not and will not be defeated by these terrorists. Furthermore, we are constantly working towards building a long lasting strategic partnership with the Afghan people to continue our commitment to bring peace and stability to the region.
Just a suggestion folks. On this forum, treat Centcom as a member and not as an organization. Lets hear what he says and if we disagree, do it with respect.
Thank you for the explanation.
The comment that I made stems from an observation of our previous post.
As you can see from Iconoclast's comment in post #14, the majority of your threads/posts are seen as nothing more than propaganda in the form of press releases. Because of this and due to the lack of interaction with the board community your credibility has suffered.
While I understand that you may be involved in posting to several boards, your goal of spreading information, if that is truly your goal, is going to be difficult to achieve without engaging and legitimizing your membership.
Yes I agree centcom seems to be an organization as usually mjtaylor posts through that nick today it's some one else, similarly a zulfiqar guy posts in usury from their digital outreach department (see the post I made yesterday about the American army trying to reach the people). Their posts seem mostly like propaganda messages than active participation.
[quote=“CENTCOM Dear Ali_Syed,
As we have already stated in our initial post, peace negotiations donot signal defeat, nor is this our prerogative. The peace initiative was the decision of the Afghan government and is led by the Afghan government. Do you see a Taliban regime in Afghanistan? Have we not witnessed the Afghan people choose a government, work hard to develop their security forces, their army and other civil and government institutions? [Are we not witnessing the growing development in the field of education, medical aid, infrastructure, and technology in Afghanistan compared to the Taliban regime”]
(http://www.centcom.mil/press-releases/progress-in-afghanistan-highlighted-by-business-growth-job-creation-and-new-infrastructure-projects)?
MAJ David Nevers,
DET – U.S Central Command www.centcom.mil
[/quote]
Agreed the Americans have won the war, militants have been routed, people have got access to education, health and jobs. So who are those people with whom Americans are dying to talk/make deals with?
