the only way the empire will learn is via defeat;

The outcome of the most recent Intra-Afghan Dialogue held in Doha (Qatar) on July 7-8 — which brings together civil servants, politicians, members of the public and Taliban representatives — was a disappointment. The event was attended by 17 representatives of the Taliban, classified as an illegal terrorist organization in many countries outside Afghanistan, alongside about 50 of Afghanistan’s political and public figures.  Representatives of the Taliban were still not yet ready to negotiate with the Afghan government delegation, and all participants who spoke at the event acted as individuals.

As a result of the two-day peace talks, the parties adopted a roadmap to peace, consolidating the agreements they had reached with the necessary conditions to create an environment of lasting peace in Afghanistan. The document listed the principles of a united Afghanistan, continuation of peace talks and mutual respect during the negotiations.  The road map for peace approved by the participants would see the establishment of an “Islamic legal system” in the country, or sharia law, which would simultaneously be implemented along with the peace process by all parties involved in the conflict, which includes security reforms, assistance and support from donor countries, the repatriation of refugees, as well as monitoring the implementation of the terms of the agreement and holding international conferences dealing with this issue.

Many political scientists noted that there were no clear decisions made at this conference, and the general words and principles laid out in the roadmap were not worth the paper they were written on. There could not have been any other outcome, given that the Taliban will only be ready to participate in the intra-Afghan talks and discuss the ceasefire after an announcement is made heralding the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, according to Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen. The spokesman of the fundamentalist movement made the comment in Qatar on the sidelines of the intra-Afghan meeting. “We want all the foreign forces to leave and end the military presence in our country… We believe in an Islamic system that ensures the rights of everyone… We want to work towards the establishment of peace in our country… We want to live alongside our countrymen in an inclusive Afghan world,” said Suhail Shaheen..........https://journal-neo.org/2019/07/17/yet-another-afghan-fiasco-for-the-politicians-in-washington/