On April 14, 2011, Turkey, a member of U.S. led NATO, confirmed they will allow an embassy for Afghan Taliban, with the approval of the government of Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave approval last December: “If Turkey can be kind to provide for such a venue, we the government of Afghanistan will be pleased and happy to see that facilitation take place by Turkey.”
On April 15, 2011, Pakistan announced they support Turkey’s recognition of the Taliban. Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari declined to comment, but one of his spokesman said: “We are not against it. As long as there’s ownership from the Afghan people and the Afghan government we will not oppose it.”
In February, 2011, President Obama told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly: “…the Taliban will not be retaking Afghanistan.” But, Obama said in December 2010: “…our civilian and military efforts must support a durable and favorable political resolution of the conflict. In 2011, we will intensify our regional diplomacy to enable a political process to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, also in February 2011: “…we are launching a diplomatic surge to move this conflict toward a political outcome that shatters the alliance between the Taliban and al-Qaida.” In other words they are trying to bring the Taliban over to the U.S. side of the Force. This includes political participation in Afghanistan’s government, and most Afghans can identify with the Taliban, so how can they not take over, at least politically, as Obama stated to O’Reilly.
And for those who think officially recognizing the Taliban will get the U.S. out of Afghanistan any faster, think again: “For reconciliation to take hold – for it to be irreversible – Afghanistan’s government will need to provide security to all its people. So the United States and our allies will continue training, advising, and assisting Afghan forces.”-also-“We have been clear that this transition does not mark the end of our commitment to the people of the region. NATO has pledged an enduring military and financial commitment to Afghanistan that will extend beyond the completion of transition in 2014.”-Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
Let me remind people that Obama promised to get U.S. troops out starting in July 2011, yet Hillary Clinton stated, back in February, 2011, that U.S. forces will be staying “beyond” 2014.
Many analysts, in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, think the Obama Administration’s policy of trying to reintegrate the Taliban into Afghan politics, is a way of stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan so that the U.S. can focus on invading Syria, then Iran.