What Really Prompted Trump to Call Off Afghan Peace Talks
tulc(whole article is interesting)Today Trump defended his decisions to host the Taliban at Camp David and then suddenly scrap the plan, both of which he described as “my idea.” He suggested he was still interested in an eventual negotiated solution with the group, noting that diplomatic meetings are the only way to conclude wars, while dashing hopes for one in the near term. Given the Taliban’s targeting of an American service member and civilians, the talks are “dead as far as I'm concerned,” he said. “You can’t do that with me.” Among the problems with this narrative is that it concerned a militant group that the Trump administration has bargained persistently with through 15 previous killings of American soldiers this year alone. The Taliban has killed and wounded thousands of U.S. troops over the past couple of decades. According to the latest statistics, it was responsible for three-fourths of deaths from terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, and one-fifth of terrorism-related deaths worldwide, in 2017. “What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position?” the president inquired on Saturday. Precisely the kind of noxious folks, as Trump must know, whom his negotiators have been huddling with in Qatar for more than a year now.
In truth, Trump’s cancellation of the Camp David meeting and suspension of peace talks reflect a reality that was evident well before a bomb detonated near the vehicle of Sergeant First Class Elis Barreto Ortiz: The peace process and proposed agreement rest on an exceedingly shaky foundation. The writing for this move was on the wall, and this weekend the president essentially tweeted it out. The latest bout of bloodshed may have played some role in the actions Trump just took, but it is also a convenient out for an administration that had gone all in on a floundering initiative.