Talking to the Taliban

One moment you are tryng to kill evry Taliban fighter in sight and the next you are seeking talks and presumably a handshake to discuss government stuff and diplomatic issues. It's all so weird. The US and Britain and all the other coalition members of the 20-year war are having to adapt to the new reality, dealing with the hated enemy who are now in charge in Kabul and everywhere else in Afghanistan except where Isis militants are residing. It's always a dfficult transition, fighting then accommodating the enemy, especially when the enemy has won a huge victory. The Americans had to do it with the Communists in Vietnam, Britain has had long experience of dealing nicely with longstanding enemies. Just two examples: the Provisional IRA after 30 years of the Irish Troubles and Robert Mugabe, the bush war guerilla leader turned statesman in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Now it's the Taliban's turn to get the softly softly treatment despite years of appalling slaughter and the death of thousands of coalition troops, Afghan civilians and Afghan soldiers and police. The men with long beards and black turbans are the government - unrecognised except by China and Russia - and so real politik steps in. Officials from the Brtish Foreign Office have travelled to Kabul to talk to the Taliban leaders about the way forward and, in particular, safe passage for people who still want to leave Afghanistan. How strange, if not creepy, it must have been for these officials to shake the hands of their Taliban counterparts. But needs must. This is the way it is from now on.