Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

“Afghanistan: Negotiating Peace”: A Century Foundation Report

by Patricia M Morris [contact information]

The Report of the Century Foundation International Task Force on Afghanistan in Its Regional and Multilateral Dimensions

Task Force Co-Chairs:

Lakhdar Brahimi: Board Member, International Crisis Group; Former United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan

Thomas R. Pickering: International Crisis Group; Former United States Under-secretary of State for Political Affairs

The “Afghanistan: Negotiating Peace” report, co-chaired by two internationally renowned diplomats, outlines a political solution for the war in Afghanistan because, they argue, there is no military solution. The foundation for their case is that there is a military stalemate, the Taliban cannot be effectively excluded, the majority of the Afghan and Western public are war-weary and it is a propitious time for negotiations.

The U.S. and its allies must begin a political process now to discern how practical negotiations are. Through a UN facilitator, negotiations at the local district and provincial level can take place parallel to international/regional negotiations. Regional negotiations would need to include Pakistan, because of its influence over the Taliban, but also India, China, Russia, the Central Asian states and Iran, despite the U.S.-Iran relationship. The U.S. will be the essential interlocutor from the international community and will need to work on all aspects from convincing reluctant Afghan leaders to negotiate to breaking future deadlocks.

A mutually satisfactory agreement addresses Taliban, regional and international interests. Local issues for discussion could include allowing the Taliban political space and possibly integration in Afghan national forces, while also ensuring free and fair elections, human rights and women’s rights, plus justice and accountability for war criminals.

The Karzai government may have to cede some power to local authorities and must mitigate corruption for credibility and stabilization. The regional and international concerns focus more on building an integrated economy and ensuring foreign aid commitments. International security concerns include severing ties between the Taliban and transnational terrorists, stemming the narcotics trade, replacing the International Security Assistance Force with UN peacekeepers and considering a nonaligned Afghanistan. Interested parties may have preconditions, but they should not prevent negotiations.

To ensure the credibility of negotiations, all sides will need to offer confidence building measures such as local or Taliban-International Security Assistance Force cease-fires.

The report advises the U.S. to begin the political process now because delaying negotiations will ultimately lead to higher future costs (monetary and physical) to secure peace.

To read the executive summary of the report click here.

To read the full report click here.