UK Defense Secretary: Britain Should Talk to Taliban and Hezbollah, Draws the Line at al-Qaeda….

Scary stupid….

LONDON (AFP) — Britain should reach out to elements of the Taliban militia in Afghanistan who can be won over to the side of democracy, Defence Secretary Des Browne said in a newspaper interview published Saturday.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Browne said conflict resolution was about persuading people who believe that violence is the way to achieve their aims to try to fulfil their ambitions through politics instead.

And that meant engaging with individuals or groups, even if their views were disagreeable. He applied the argument to Taliban insurgents — whom British troops are fighting in southern Afghanistan — as well as Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Browne said there was currently “no basis of negotiation” with Al-Qaeda, but added: “The Taliban is a collective noun. There are some people who are driven by their own self interest rather than ideology. (Not with Islamic terrorists -ed.)

ZIP

Crossposted via Weasel Zippers….

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