It’s either that, or a fool’s errand. I have seen nothing from the taliban that would make me think that an offer of peace and reconciliation is even desirable to them. If anything, it reminds me of the early days of the war, and the fall of Konduz. The Northern Alliance had surrounded 5000 taliban and Pakistani fighters, and called for a ceasefire to allow surrender talks, rather than crushing the enemy outright.  Unfortunately, the taliban used the cover of surrender negotiations as an opportunity to escape, leaving some 600 or so fighters behind. The escapees regrouped in Pakistan and began the new offensive that continues to this day.

Can there be peace without victory?

KABUL - Afghanistan’s parliament has granted immunity to all Afghans involved in the country’s 25 years of conflict, lawmakers said on Thursday, despite calls by human rights groups for war crimes trials.

The decision passed on Wednesday in the lower house, Wolesi Jirga, would also cover fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who now heads his own militant group, critics and supporters of the move said.

Rights groups have strongly pressed the government to punish those guilty of abuses, including some members of parliament and senior government officials, saying justice was vital for peace.

But the national assembly said its motion would help reconciliation in a nation shattered by years of war and civil strife that have left almost no family untouched by tragedy.

Source: ummahnewslinks.com

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