Reconciling with the Taliban? : toward an alternative grand strategy in Afghanistan
Ashley J Tellis, United States. President (2009- : Obama), Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceAny effort at reconciliation today will, therefore, undermine the credibility of American power and the success of the Afghan mission. Most important, reconciling with the Taliban is both premature and unnecessary for the success of Western aims. The Afghan public, by an overwhelming margin of 82 percent to 4 percent, is still very much opposed to the Taliban—not only viewing them as the country’s biggest threat but also desperately seeking the success that ought to accrue from the presence of Western military forces in their country. Consequently, although the situation in Afghanistan is serious, it is by no means hopeless—and can be retrieved through a concerted modification of current NATO strategy, including a return to proper counterinsurgency operations.