Day: June 22, 2013
Same name, different challenges
Earlier this week news broke that the US and the Taliban had agreed to meet for direct peace talks. While President Karzai’s administration has protested these negotiations and delayed them, it appears likely the parties will meet in coming weeks. The outcome of these talks could significantly affect the future of US-Afghan relations and might help determine the nature and timeline of the US military withdrawal.
Some argue that Pakistan’s role in helping the US pursue the Afghan Taliban has driven their willingness to negotiate. Yet, Pakistan is simultaneously dealing with its own version of Islamic extremism, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the Pakistani Taliban. Aqab Malik, a scholar at Pakistan’s National Defense University provided insight into the planned negotiations during a presentation this past Thursday at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he is a visiting professor. Representing his own views (and not the official stance of the Pakistani government) Malik, an expert on both the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, gave an overview of security concerns and discussed the implications of including the Taliban in the future Afghan state. Read more
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