What Does Sgt. Bergdahl’s Release tell us about Afghanistan, Pakistan & the Taliban today? | Informed Comment

A little more nuanced analysis of the release and negotiation with he Taliban through Qatar than you will see on the Sunday talk shows.

Stg. Bergdahl was apparently being held by the Haqqani group, which has bases in the Federally Administered Tribal Area FATA of Pakistan. Does this prisoner swamp show that the Taliban are ready to negotiate? The Haqqani group is the most hardline of the 4 major organizations now called “the Taliban” by US officials and journalists. The are the ‘old Taliban’ of Mullah Omar, the Hizb-i Islami or Islamic Party of Gulbadin Hikmatyar who fought the Soviets as occupiers in conjunction with the CIA, but in 2002 switched and decided to fight the Americans; the Haqqani Group led by Siraj Haqqani; and the “Pakistani Taliban,” most members of Mahsud and other FATA tribes, who have never been to a madrasah or institution of higher learning like 2 of the other 3 they aren’t Taliban, which means “seminarians.” The Haqqanis are said to be close to al-Qaeda

via What Does Sgt. Bergdahl’s Release tell us about Afghanistan, Pakistan & the Taliban today? | Informed Comment.