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Diligence LLC President Mike Baker on reports the Taliban is looking to make a deal with U.S. forces in return for financial support.
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Here's an unexpected military development there are reports that some high level Taliban officials are ready to work with US troops in Afghanistan.
-- for financial support what -- But at the same time the Taliban is announcing that these reports are made up and that they're using their members to capture and kill Britain's Prince Harry.
Who just started a one year tour in Afghanistan fresh from Vegas of course.
Joining me now is former CIA Covert operations officer and president of the global intelligence and security firm.
Diligence LLC Mike Baker.
Mike thank you for joining me when I look to this report.
It had just enough troops to seem like there's something in there.
Right and then we've gotten reports in the past.
Where it's it's been announce -- Karzai is you know quietly negotiating with members the Taliban to get them to the negotiating table.
And then some commander in the Taliban -- months and that's nonsense out part of that obfuscation part of that that they confusion is delivered on the part of the Taliban.
And it there is absolutely true that the US trying to work through Pakistan primarily and Karzai and Afghanistan are trying to get the Taliban to the table they would -- the administration would like to be able to do that.
Because there's some in the circle -- believe that without the Taliban's participation in negotiations.
You know we can't have -- -- particularly -- exist you know 2014.
-- on the show we -- at the end of the day it's always about money and of course that is what the Taliban is talking about here that they want cash in return for whatever else but I mean can they be trusted at all would you make a deal and expected to be honored.
Short answer is no the long answer of course is no so no surprise -- not a buyer on on Afghanistan and the idea that we've been there now for this long.
When you talk about and return on on investment.
And and I died partner and I and in mid sized company at this point we're always talking about this and you know here in Afghanistan we're gonna have to be asking ourselves once we leave what exactly was a return on this investment now we are spending.
If there was an international donor conference back in the summer and we tried to strong arm a lot of countries to come together -- -- After we leave let's continue the support and they got about sixteen billion and in in pledges most of that frankly US.
We're spending about in 2013 two and a half billion dollars which is a little bit of an increase over this year.
Odd that doesn't take into account the money that's required to keep the Afghan military and police moving after 2014 that will be about another four billion a year.
Yeah but you need a great point in the break I mean I was just in the -- -- is silent I was with.
You know people that were currently flying missions over Afghanistan off the USS enterprise they're human lives at risk we're spending money but the point you made was.
You don't -- we can't just leave when we leave what happened.
Well I don't we will have to leave -- that there's no way that we can sustain this.
From past 2014 I don't think anybody regardless what happens November in the elections I don't think gave Romney if he wins he -- -- -- -- wanna continue this effort.
We're gonna try to do that today is slow withdrawal that we've been doing in Iraq and that's still a jury's still out in Iraq as to how that's going to all shake out.
Afghanistan a much more pessimistic on.
We haven't learned much if anything from the experience the Soviets had there.
We're not seeing that we're gonna be unable to leave a long term a stable Karzai government -- say I think himself understands he needs the Taliban.
Otherwise he's swinging from the -- and put it in diplomatic terms but once.
Once we leave if Karzai hasn't been able to barter or negotiate in some fashion with the Taliban.
Then I think he's in serious trouble the Taliban on the other hand they're not politically stupid.
And most of the senior commanders understand what they've got some leverage right now the US wants him to come to the table Karzai needs them to come to the table.
They come to the table they get some concessions they get a cut of that money that's going in Afghanistan.
And it's gonna cost us more if they come let's say -- change anything -- things better off the end of the day -- deal gets done that's the bottom line question I would say absolutely not.
Yeah okay that's depressing my baker.
Thank you don't -- seven -- depressing yet -- Imus it's.
