OSLO — At a corner table of the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan’s capital, an emissary from the Taliban’s supreme leader arrived with a message of peace.It was 2007, as the Afghan Taliban insurgency was growing bolder. The United States-led international coalition was fixated on defeating the Taliban militarily, and that mission would only intensify when President Obama sent in tens of thousands more troops starting in 2009.But that evening at the Marriott in Islamabad, the talk was about diplomacy, and there were no Americans in the room. Alf Arne Ramslien, a senior Norwegian diplomat who had cultivated relationships and trust within the Taliban for years, was meeting with a confidant of Mullah Muhammad Omar, the movement’s reclusive founder, who was directing the insurgency from exile in Pakistan.The Taliban emissary gave Mr. Ramslien a list of five names that Mullah Omar had tasked with exploring the possibility of peace talks. They needed the help of a facilitator, he said, and Mr. Ramslien was it.
How Peace Between Afghanistan and the Taliban Foundered – (The New York Times)
Published by
Danilo Amelotti
I am a former Italian SPECOPs; after 25 years of service I left the active duty and I am now private trainer and co-owner of Tactical News Magazine International. I will write about my past and present experiences, trainings and training methodology, and I will comment actual event (mainly related to my past activities). Finally you will also find reviews on equipment and weapons. Sono un Incursore in congedo; dopo 25 anni di servizio ho lasciato il servizio attivo e sono ora un istruttore privato e comproprietario di Tactical News Magazine International. Sul mio blog scriverò articoli riguardanti le mie esperienze passate e presenti, parlerò' di addestramenti vari e metodologie di insegnamento, ed ovviamente commenterò' fatti attuali (maggiormente correlati con la mia passata esperienza). In fine pubblicherò' anche test di equipaggiamenti vari. View all posts by Danilo Amelotti