Talking to the Taliban

In a dramatic shift, some U.S. military and civilian officials in Afghanistan are now trying to negotiate with Afghan Taliban fighters to encourage them to "reintegrate." Although no program yet exists, the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul recently created a "cell" to address these efforts and formalize this outreach -- a technique some commanders report they are already using.

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Here in Logar province, commanders say they have contacted and negotiated with enemy fighters, even with no military guidelines in place. "I think it's very important" said Col. David Haight, who commands Task Force Spartan, a brigade that covers troubled Wardak and Logar provinces.

"We have talked to people who have American blood on their hands," he added, citing Gen. David Petraeus' doctrine: "You can't kill or capture your way out of an insurgency."

Haight, an experienced and energetic infantry officer, is in charge of the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade. His area of operations consists of two hotly contested provinces near Kabul, where he has pursued an aggressive counterinsurgency campaign. He and his troops attempt to clear out rebels and build up the local economy while working with Afghan security forces. But, he notes, without more troops he can't keep some districts out of the hands of the Taliban -- and is willing to try less conventional measures.

Matthew Sherman, a U.S. State Department official who advises Haight's brigade, said: "There are many ways to get people off the battlefield. You can kill them, you can capture them, and you can talk to them, and we're exploring all those options" in an effort that is "literally new."

The 3rd Brigade has received informal guidance on how to deal with enemy leaders in the form of "the three Ds": define, dialogue, and desist. Soldiers define a Taliban member's "significance" in terms of his reach and influence. "You know, who is this guy?" Haight said. Then, dialogue, so "in the future, [you] gain some guy's trust." Finally, desist. "Obviously, try to get him to commit to the process with a locally arranged reduction in violence."

Sherman notes that soldiers have attempted this technique with low-level local Taliban. In the future, he thinks, military forces will focus on "reintegrating" tactical and operational fighters. But the Afghan government, he says, will "[decide] on reconciliation with strategic and political leaders."

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