MP: Troops have done their job, now time for politicians to do theirs
Today during Foreign and Commonwealth Questions in the House of Commons, John Baron MP pressed the Foreign Secretary about the need to open non-conditional talks with the Taliban. This follows further recent evidence, including recent attacks over the weekend, which suggests the Taliban insurgency remains very much intact.
John said,
“The British Government has long failed to understand that, given available resources, the Taliban will not be beaten. Is it not now, therefore, the time to drop the unrealistic preconditions for talks with the Taliban and explore possible common ground, including the differences between the Taliban and al-Qaeda, which could lead to a political settlement to our mutual benefit? We can be proud of our troops, but it’s now time for the politicians to step up to the plate.”
The Foreign Secretary responded by suggesting that there was no evidence the Taliban wished to participate in reconciliation.
John said afterwards,
“Reconciliation and non-conditional talks are two very separate issues, and should not be confused. We proved in Northern Ireland that you can fight and talk at the same time. Reconciliation can only follow a political settlement which, in itself, depends on talks.”
“Soldiers can only buy time: any solution has to be political. The politicians are currently failing our troops and the people of Afghanistan”
John Baron will not post replies to any comments - to contact John please Click here or alternatively for a full list of contact details Click here