Canada not talking to Taliban

[Ropey]

OTTAWA - Canada is not talking to the Taliban, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday after U.S. reports confirmed the Americans were chatting with the terrorist group.

“Canada is not involved in negotiations with the Taliban,” Chris Day said in an e-mail.

Day was responding to queries after U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates confirmed on the weekend that State Department officials have been in direct talks with Taliban members in recent weeks.

Gates’ comments follow those of Afghan President Hamid Karzai who said the U.S. was in contact with Taliban, a terror group of Islamic fundamentalists NATO forces have been fighting for a decade in Afghanistan.

“Canada supports Afghan efforts to reach out to those who renounce violence, respect the Afghan constitution and have no links with al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups,” said Day.

Canada is pulling the bulk of its troops out of Afghanistan this year. Those remaining will be part of a NATO group training the Afghan National Army and police.

Liberal Leader Bob Rae said he wasn’t surprised by backdoor discussions of an informal nature.

“I think Canada would obviously be interested in what’s being discussed and what the consequences of those discussions are,” he said

Will Obama will be bowing to a Taliban leader? (If he hasn't already that is)

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/20/canada-not-talking-to-taliban

 

[geauxtohell]

OTTAWA - Canada is not talking to the Taliban, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday after U.S. reports confirmed the Americans were chatting with the terrorist group.

“Canada is not involved in negotiations with the Taliban,” Chris Day said in an e-mail.

Day was responding to queries after U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates confirmed on the weekend that State Department officials have been in direct talks with Taliban members in recent weeks.

Gates’ comments follow those of Afghan President Hamid Karzai who said the U.S. was in contact with Taliban, a terror group of Islamic fundamentalists NATO forces have been fighting for a decade in Afghanistan.

“Canada supports Afghan efforts to reach out to those who renounce violence, respect the Afghan constitution and have no links with al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups,” said Day.

Canada is pulling the bulk of its troops out of Afghanistan this year. Those remaining will be part of a NATO group training the Afghan National Army and police.

Liberal Leader Bob Rae said he wasn’t surprised by backdoor discussions of an informal nature.

“I think Canada would obviously be interested in what’s being discussed and what the consequences of those discussions are,” he said

Will Obama will be bowing to a Taliban leader? (If he hasn't already that is)

Canada not talking to Taliban | Canada | News | Toronto Sun

You realize we were reaching out to the Taliban under the Bush Administration too, right?

Not that I have a problem with that. It's just smart tactics to try and entice the trigger pullers to abandon their weapons and leave the generals without an Army.

 

[Ropey]

You realize we were reaching out to the Taliban under the Bush Administration too, right?

Links please. You do mean Canada with "We"? I would like proof of this. Serious sources that say Canada was with America in meetings with the Taliban.

 

[Jos]

"I told you so" is an unbecoming political posture, but NDP Leader Jack Layton could certainly be forgiven such thoughts when the subject turns to negotiating with the Taliban.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government once thought it clever to ridicule Mr. Layton's call for talks. He didn't understand the real world, they said; next he'd be wanting tea with Osama Bin Laden.

But now Mr. Harper insists that "it has always been our position that [talks with insurgents are] part of an eventual solution, and that it's not simply military action alone."

Finally, we're all talking about talking to the Taliban | Embassy - Canada's Foreign Policy Newspaper

 

[Ropey]

That's Jack Layton speaking about this. He's a dipper, not in control of anything other than a weak Quebec based anger result of the previous election. He favors talking to the Taliban. No one listens to him. So what if he says Harper is backtracking.

Hasn't happened yet moron.

LMAO

"I told you so" is an unbecoming political posture, but NDP Leader Jack Layton could certainly be forgiven such thoughts when the subject turns to negotiating with the Taliban.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government once thought it clever to ridicule Mr. Layton's call for talks. He didn't understand the real world, they said; next he'd be wanting tea with Osama Bin Laden.

But now Mr. Harper insists that "it has always been our position that [talks with insurgents are] part of an eventual solution, and that it's not simply military action alone."

Would that it were so.

In 2007, Mr. Harper's foreign minister, Maxime Bernier, put it this way: "Canada does not negotiate with terrorists, for any reason."

Afghanistan's ambassador to Canada joined Mr. Bernier and the Harper government to cast the refusal to talk as a general principle: there cannot be "peace talks between an elected government and heavily-armed gangs of militant school-burners."

^^ From your link.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5j_ofaAfF4]YouTube - ‪Jack Layton thinks he's Barack Obama‬‏[/ame]

After a solution. Not negotiation with Taliban terrorists.

 

[Toro]

Rusty Baird!

I used to get hammered with that guy when we were in PC Youth.

 

[Ropey]

PC Youth? You were a 'hard ass' as a kid? :-O

Rusty Baird!

I used to get hammered with that guy when we were in PC Youth.

Cereal?

Stories? .

 

[Jroc]

Well... I guess we have to look to Canada for moral clarity these days.