Afghan attack kills US soldiers hours after news of talks

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22963576

Afghan attack kills US soldiers hours after news of talks

Four US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, hours after the US announced direct talks with the Taliban.

The soldiers were killed by "indirect fire" from insurgents at Bagram air base, US officials said.

Bagram, near the Afghan capital Kabul, is the largest military base for US troops in Afghanistan.

A condition for the talks, due to begin on Thursday in Qatar, was for the Taliban to renounce violence.

In comments made before the news of the attack emerged, US President Barack Obama said the announcement of talks was an "important first step toward reconciliation".

The talks are set to take place in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban have just opened their first official overseas office.

US officials said prisoner exchanges would be one topic for discussion with the Taliban, but the first weeks would mainly be used to explore each other's agendas.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government was also sending delegates to Qatar to talk to the Taliban.

Also on Tuesday, Nato handed over responsibility for security for the whole of the country to Afghan security forces.

International troops are to remain in Afghanistan until the end of 2014, providing military back-up when needed.

(continued)

[JimC]

Time for any educated Afghani woman to get out of Dodge...

[cronus]

Time for any educated Afghani woman to get out of Dodge...

It's peace JimC but not as we know it, not as we know it.

[JimC]

Time for any educated Afghani woman to get out of Dodge...

It's peace JimC but not as we know it, not as we know it.

But it is in our time...

[cronus]

Time for any educated Afghani woman to get out of Dodge...

It's peace JimC but not as we know it, not as we know it.

But it is in our time...

Takes time for things to filter down the ranks. Someone draws the unlucky straw whenever peace breaks out, and becomes the last casualty of conflict in these situations.

[Clinton Huxley]

The Taliban will be back in control of Afghanistan a few years after NATO slouches away.

[JimC]

The Taliban will be back in control of Afghanistan a few years after NATO slouches away.

That is a given.

Months, rather than years, IMO...

All those good lads gone for nothing...

Including one of my own past pupils...

[Clinton Huxley]

The Taliban will be back in control of Afghanistan a few years after NATO slouches away.

That is a given.

Months, rather than years, IMO...

All those good lads gone for nothing...

Including one of my own past pupils...

A colossal waste of lives and treasure. Basically, a defeat.

[JimC]

The Taliban will be back in control of Afghanistan a few years after NATO slouches away.

That is a given.

Months, rather than years, IMO...

All those good lads gone for nothing...

Including one of my own past pupils...

A colossal waste of lives and treasure. Basically, a defeat.

Agreed. Maybe an initial attack after the WTC terrorism was fair enough.

After that, a pointless exercise in propping up corrupt warlords...

[MrJonno]

We are well out of there

[Rum]

If you think once they are back in control they will leave us alone to quietly get on with our lives you can forget it.

[Clinton Huxley]

We'll need to schedule another invasion for around 2020. I'll put it in my calendar....

[MrJonno]

If you think once they are back in control they will leave us alone to quietly get on with our lives you can forget it.

Then we need to concentrate on securing our borders not someone else.

Probably far more terrorists who are a genuine threat to me within 10 miles of where I live (Birmingham) than there are in Afghanistan

[Audley Strange]

Time for any educated Afghani woman to get out of Dodge...

Frankly I'd say the same to educated American Women.

[Audley Strange]

If you think once they are back in control they will leave us alone to quietly get on with our lives you can forget it.

Yeah, prior to the invasion I couldn't move for Taliban terrorist attacks.