A petition against U.S./Taliban Negotiations

After the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989,the country was in a state of economic ruin and civil war. Betweeh 1994-1996, the Taliban, a militia of hardline Sunni Muslims, gained military and political strength, and governed Afghanistan from 1996-2001. After their defeat by U.S. and NATO troops, they retreated to the tribal regions of Pakistan where they continue to gain strength and carry out attacks, against their own people and foreign troops. Their interpretation of Islamic law is extremely strict, with many of their edicts directed at women, who are not permitted to work (with the exception of medicine, since a man is not permitted to examine a woman), leave the home without a male relative, and are required to blacken their windows so they cannot be visible from the outside. The Taliban have become notorious for brutal public beatings, hangings, and executions, notably the slaughter of approximately 8000 non-combatants in Mazar-e-Sharif and Bamiyan (1).

As early as October, 2008 , U.S. defense secretary Robert Gates "endorsed the recommendation by Brig. Mark Carleton-Smith that a resolution to the conflict would require negotiations with the Taliban."(2)

Recently, the Pakistani government agreed to turn control of the Swat Valley, a tribal area near the border of Afghanistan, over to the Taliban. Obama reiterated his stance that we must reach out' to 'moderate Taliban' with the ultimate goal of U.S. troop withdrawal. He plans on doing this from a position of strength, hence the troop surge. However, Taliban officials have balked at the idea, saying "We don't even know what a moderate is...it goes against the very core of our ideology"...
Given this kind of track-record, Why would our government consider negotiating with anyone from the Taliban, whether or not they are a self-proclaimed 'moderate', if indeed, one can be found in the first place?

To read more, please visit http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Taliban/ and sign the petition.

Sources: 1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban#Treatment_of_women)

2.-http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=71556&sectionid=351020403