It seems like face-saving to me, but it's sort of what I expected. They've been putting as brave a face on it as they can, but things are falling apart around them. I don't think they expected Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to publicly stand by us, as well as China, Russia, and all the "Stans", and I suspect that some of the countries which are making noises like they don't support us are cooperating behind the scenes.
It's never too late to negotiate a settlement. I am not a military person, just a lawyer, but my experience is that litigation frequently settles on the courthouse steps or mid-trial, or even after the case has been sent to the jury. Once both parties put their cards on the table, you can see who is bluffing and who isn't. This doesn't have to be a winner-takes-all scenario (with the Taliban). Win-win is always better.
Our beef is with bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, and maybe Iraq. I don't like the Taliban, but I don't see how it's in our interest to destroy them if they want to cooperate. |
