Let’s Bribe the Taliban
2010-01-22 - by
Here’s a sure sign we’re in deeper trouble in Afghanistan than anybody’s letting on: The Afghan government (no doubt with U.S. taxpayers’ money) is offering the Taliban soldiers cold hard cash to surrender or, better yet, switch sides; of course being blossoming Afghanistan politicians are wrapping all this up in Washington style rhetoric calling their plan to bribe terrorists a ‘jobs program’ and saying what they’re really offering Taliban soldiers is ‘vocational training and economic incentives’ – if they’ll switch sides in the war.
I guess, in some ways, buying off an enemy makes more sense than fighting him. But any way you cut it paying Taliban soldiers to give up is a pretty clear admission of weakness. It’s like saying to the hard-bitten mujahedeen holding a gun on you, Okay, you win – now, would you be interested in a bribe and do you mind if we call it a jobs program?
Let’s Bribe the Taliban
2010-01-22/
Here’s a sure sign we’re in deeper trouble in Afghanistan than anybody’s letting on: The Afghan government (no doubt with U.S. taxpayers’ money) is offering the Taliban soldiers cold hard cash to surrender or, better yet, switch sides; of course being blossoming Afghanistan politicians are wrapping all this up in Washington style rhetoric calling their plan to bribe terrorists a ‘jobs program’ and saying what they’re really offering Taliban soldiers is ‘vocational training and economic incentives’ – if they’ll switch sides in the war.
I guess, in some ways, buying off an enemy makes more sense than fighting him. But any way you cut it paying Taliban soldiers to give up is a pretty clear admission of weakness. It’s like saying to the hard-bitten mujahedeen holding a gun on you, Okay, you win – now, would you be interested in a bribe and do you mind if we call it a jobs program?