West should have talked to the Taliban a decade ago, general Nick Carter says.
General Nick Carter, deputy commander of the Nato-led coalition in Afghanistan, said the west should have tried talking to the Taliban a decade ago.
The senior British commander told The Guardian that it would have been easier for western powers to find a political solution right after the invasion of the country almost eleven years ago.
Carterâ„¢s comments come as efforts to negotiate with the militant group faltered.
“Back in 2002, the Taliban were on the run. I think that at that stage, if we had been very prescient, we might have spotted that a final political solution to what started in 2001, from our perspective, would have involved getting all Afghans to sit at the table and talk about their future,” Carter said.
Moreover, he warned Afghan forces would still need financial and military support after British troops finally pull out in 2014.
Critics have also argued that a deal with Taliban leaders was possible after the group was ousted in 2001. They believe the deal could have saved thousands of lives as well as billions of dollars.
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Republished with permission from:: Press TV