'US in diplomatic dance with Taliban'

Interview with James Jennings, President of Conscience International, Atlanta.

Despite the assassination of former Afghan peace chief Burhanuddin Rabbani last year, US is now trying to open talks with Taliban to provide them participation in the future of the country.

Taliban has recently opened an office in Qatar to start negotiations with the country's invaders.

Press TV has talked with James Jennings, President of Conscience International from Atlanta, Georgia to further discuss the issue of US- Taliban ties.

Press TV: Mr. Jennings, first of all when we are speaking about the US strategy of talking with the Taliban, the question that comes to mind is whether this is a new idea that has been proposed by the US in the face of failure to tackle the militants on the ground or is this an idea that the US was for, since the war in Afghanistan began?

Jennings: It is a bit unclear exactly what is going on in the diplomatic dance that is being performed now between the Taliban and the Karzai government and the American administration.

I suspect that after former US envoy Holbrooke left because he died, his position was replaced by Marc Grossman as US special envoy.

They have changed their tactics a bit and also their allies in Europe, France for example, deciding to pull out early from Afghanistan has changed the dynamics and there is a great deal of interest now in moving forward with some sort of negotiation with the Taliban.

But in an election year the US cannot seem to be very eager for that and so the Taliban spokesman has said that there is deep mistrust on all sides.

Press TV: When of course the US-led forces did enter Afghanistan, part of their aim in Afghanistan was to overthrow the Taliban regime.

Now, we are hearing that the Taliban are saying that they are ready to come back to the political scene that once after 2014 US troops and most of the foreign forces are gone, we might even see the rise of the Taliban again. So that puts the question forward: what this campaign in Afghanistan was really about?

Jennings: That is right and I think that as the American military in Iraq did not really know who the enemy was and who they were fighting for years in the conflict and they did not understand the context in Iraq the same has been true with Afghanistan.

Although truthfully they've learned more quickly and they have a better perception of what is been going on underground in Afghanistan than they did in Iraq.

However, I think this entire scenario signals the winding down and end phase for the American involvement in Afghanistan.

It may take some time, but I remember very well the Paris Peace talks that ended the Vietnam War; it went on for years. There was a lot of fighting on the battle field to actually gain traction for the diplomatic talks in Paris.

I think this also is likely to happen as again the Taliban spokesmen has said it is very natural that there be more bloodshed because each side will try to gain some superiority or slight advantage on the battle field in order to influence the diplomacy.

And so I do not think a sudden solution or end of mistrust and handshakes and smiles all around are quite in the offing yet, maybe later, but this is going to take some time apparently.

Press TV: James Jennings President of Conscious International joining us there on the line from Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you very much Mr. Jennings.