Jason Burke writing in The Guardian Weekly, 3.10.08, says," The Taliban have been engaged in secret talks about ending the conflict in Afghanistan in a 'peace process' sponsored by Saudia Arabia... Britain has provided logistic and diplomatic support for the talks...The West's backing for these talks is a measure of how badly things have gone wrong in Afghanistan, and how far Western governments are prepared to go to stabilise a deteriorating situation, which is costing more in men, money and political than they ever imagined. The situation in Pakistan...has given the initiative a new urgency."
No mention of Australian involvement in this initiative. The ABC, World Today, 6.10.08, had a story that the departing British Ambassador from Kabul called for a negotiated settlement, this view was said to backed by a number of NATO members engaged in Afghanistan.
The US is said to oppose this view and Fitzgibbon was unavailable for comment, but was quoted in the AFR(6.10.08) as wondering whether the financial melt down might not preclude the US from sending significant numbers of new troops to Afghanistan.
What should be made of the ADF allowing ABC reporter, Mark Willesee, to be inserted into Australian forces in Afghanistan? The reports have so far supported a continued Australian military involvement. Could there be a split within Defence on this issue? Might that split be between the Ministers office and that of the Secretary of Defence, Nick Warner - a member of the old guard and a Howard appointee?
Bruce Haig

Hi Bruce

I think Australia Afghan policy is fairly ad hoc, reactive and fragmented. Basic line - support the US but attempt to minimise Australian deaths.

The negotiations look like a temporary, hopeful and convenient fix.

If the Taliban are now telling the world
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/06/afghan.saudi.talks/index.html that it is now separate from AQ this defies geography and the reality that many of the internationally inclined Taliban are AQ by orientation.

As many in Saudi Arabia are also sympathetic politically and religiously to AQ, the Saudi role may simply be at the behest of the US and NATO.

It all sounds like a convenient fix to allow the West to withdraw from Afghanistan (a la "Peace With Honor"). Then the Taliban and AQ with ISI assistance can continue on their merry extremist way.

Families of troops killed in Afghanistan will wonder why anyone bothered occupying the country since 2001.

All a hard act of political reconciliation to sell.

Pete

Completely agree with some of the assessments in here.

We are wasting billions on something that will not work. Lets put it this way: would you like 200,000 Indonesian soldiers invading Australia because they think our government is cruel?

The contect for the Afghanistan invasion was to aprehend terrorists, namely Osama Bin Laden. Now it has shifted to installing a pro-US government. This will never work, the Afghan people are proud and why would they want a western government telling them how to live?

The Taliban have more support than you realise. I suspect there is growing concern in Pakistan and Iran of what the true US intentions are. If Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts were to be peacefully solved this would send a message to other governments in the area who's next? I have a suspicion they are receiving funds from Pakistan, Syria, Iran and even possibly Russia.

The only way to honorably solve this is to get the hell out of the country because lets face it, the reason for being there in the first place is a lie.

I'm still confused as to the exact purpose of us being there in the first place. If its to get rid of a cruel government, why hasnt other countries like N Korea, Zimbabwe and Iran been invaded. Why does the West get away with deciding what government is cruel or not? Could it be due to political pressure and a nuclear confrontation?

This military intervention has meant the US and it's allies have bitten of more than they can chew and its now the tax payers who will suffer in the decades to come. My advice is to get active and educate the wider public into the illegality of this supposed "war".