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Taliban announces 'spring offensive'

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    Can the US negotiate with terror group?

  • Duration 4:38
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A warning of more attacks to come in Afghanistan after a deadly homicide bombing in Kabul the Taliban claiming responsibility for this latest bombing.

-- their annual spring offensive will Begin tomorrow.

The primary targets to include quote foreign invaders their advisors and all who help them.

This following a visit by President Obama to that country where he announced his administration has plans in direct talks.

And has been with the Taliban it was the first public acknowledgment of the negotiations by him.

We're pursuing a negotiated peace.

In coordination with the Afghan government my administration has been in direct discussions with the -- month.

We've made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break -- al-Qaeda renounce violence.

And abide by Afghan loss.

Many members the -- -- from which soldiers stood leaders.

Have indicated an interest in reconciliation.

The path to peace is now set before.

Those who refuse to walk it will face strong Afghan security forces.

Backed by the United States and our allies.

Bret Stephens Jose foreign affairs columnist at the Wall Street Journal -- good to have you along today -- to be here so direct negotiations with the Taliban yet on a militant website they say it may third were kicking off -- spring of.

-- -- -- what you just showed underscored the incoherence of the Obama administration's.

Approach.

You know the Obama the administration keeps talking about the tide of war receding -- reminds me of a line by Leon Trotsky to -- it.

We may not be -- -- in fighting the Taliban but the top -- venerated -- In in fighting -- -- the president is talking about.

-- kind of fantasy Taliban disinterested.

In a negotiated settlement and a peaceful civil future for Afghanistan.

There is no such Taliban at least among their leadership and I wish that.

The the administration would recognize that simple fact.

You know on this website reportedly there's a call out to and I read a little bit of it -- I was introducing you had to anybody.

-- to kind of come along -- for the ride on this to help them out to fight foreign invaders I'm curious congressman -- McCain -- here.

From the house armed services committee just a few minutes ago he said you know maybe we should leave more numbers of troops on the ground through the spring offensive.

Any talk perhaps of upping the numbers revisiting those numbers throughout these next months.

But this administration is just so keen to head for the for the exits and Afghanistan think today and the combat role by 2013.

Bring most American troops home by 2014 you know it's lovely to talk about an exit strategy but what I think.

-- what Afghanistan needs and I suspect most American soldiers want.

Is a victory strategy the reason we're despairing about this war here in the United States.

Does this administration.

Doesn't talk about a victory strategy I'd love to hear the president talk about that.

Yet you know what I'm pulling from my notes right now 'cause I was reading this morning that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign had put out a note that -- success.

Is vital in Afghanistan to the United States own security what would success look like.

-- success would be an Afghanistan that is a partner of the United States not an enemy of the United States -- on government.

Place where al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups can take called.

Success means not only ensuring that at Afghanistan stable but that Iran does not continue to encroach on that country the way it's encroaching on its other neighbor.

Iraq since we've since we've withdrawn our our forces.

Success means that South Asia becomes.

A an axis of security for the United States and the region.

Not one -- but not one of instability -- and a potential source of future terror attack.

Bret Stephens before -- let you go.

There has been this call for we saw Hamid Karzai the president Afghanistan to talk to the Taliban -- the president.

Of our country saying we talked to the Taliban what do they want exactly decides to fight.

I think it's the appearance of negotiation it's a little bit reminiscent.

Of the negotiations the US undertook with north Vietnam which gave this quote unquote peace with honor.

In 1973.

People with long memories remember exactly how that turned out the north Vietnamese reneged on their agreements and pretty soon.

Were we're sending their tanks right into Saigon.

And we're setting ourselves up for precisely that kind of disaster if we continued to imagine that the Taliban wants anything.

Either.

Other than our our our surrender and.

And our disgrace while when you draw those images.

That it's really tough.

To think about repeating that part of our history Bret Stephens thank you very much thank you.

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