Attending Veteran’s Day services at Harvard yesterday, and seeing all of the brave young men and women in uniform, coupled with the tragic news of yet another Massachusetts soldier killed in Afghanistan, brought home to me in a very personal way the need for an immediate peaceful solution in Afghanistan. Army Spec. Benjamin Sherman, 21, of Plymouth, was found dead Tuesday in Afghanistan.
My plan calls for offering the Taliban a cease-fire deadline of Friday, December 18th, which marks the Muslim New Year. If accepted, the peace talks would be convened by January 15th in Paris or any other neutral location acceptable to all parties. All issues would be on the table, including the possibility of an “all-party” government in Afghanistan. Critically, no additional U.S. or NATO troops would be sent to Afghanistan while the talks are pending.
Given his being held in high esteem throughout the world, perhaps President Obama himself would be the best person to mediate these talks, as Teddy Roosevelt successfully did in 1905 to end the Russo-Japanese War and for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. Now that the President has ordered his advisers to bring him new options on Afghanistan, perhaps this is one of the options that can be considered. And by inviting Pakistan to the talks, it’s quite possible that many of Pakistan’s current security problems can be solved as well.
If Mandela and de Klerk can negotiate, if the IRA and the British can negotiate, if Israel and her Arab neighbors can negotiate, then certainly Karzai, Abdullah, the Taliban and Pakistan can negotiate. I see this as the best path to a true Peace with Honor for all parties – especially the United States and her NATO allies.
However, my GOP primary opponent (Scott Brown) has no answers to this problem. All he was able to say is: “At this point, I’m not sure, to be honest with you.” ( http://www.wbur.org/2009/09/14… ). These are the types of questions that need to be answered by anyone running for the U.S. Senate. We cannot afford to send someone to Washington who lacks the experience and understanding to address one of the most critical issues facing our country today.
This is one of the many issues on which I have a fresh and unique perspective not tainted by spending years on Beacon Hill or Capitol Hill. That is why I am asking for your vote in the Republican U.S. Senate primary to be held on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. And if you are an Unenrolled voter, please pull a Republican primary ballot and vote for me.
I need your help in advancing the Progressive Republican Agenda in Washington. If you are able, please feel free to donate to my campaign by clicking here.
Finally, please watch our newest campaign video asking Scott Brown to accept my invitation to debate.
-Jack
Thank you for joining Representative Capuano and Mr. Khazei in sharing your ideas with us on this website. I’m not sure that the Taliban is interested in a cease-fire or peace negotiations, but there’s nothing to be hurt by asking, I suppose.
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p>May I ask two questions:
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p>1. Which Republican legislators do you foresee working closely alongside to advance the Progressive Republican agenda?
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p>2. And furthermore, are you actively seeking, and would you accept if offered, the endorsement of Governor Sarah Palin in the Republican Senate primary?
as long as America is forcing same-sex marriage on the world, and other offensive practices to Islam like having children out-of-wedlock and sperm donation and things like that. Perhaps we could negotiate a cease fire and a lifting of the fatwas against America if we agreed to end gay marriage, but otherwise, we’re saying “Bring it on!”
Shouldn’t you post this at Red Mass Group?
…but he probably actually wants an audience:)
Sung during the Vietnam war, the politicians were able to use negotiations and their delay to continue the war for years. All the while the politicians were able to suck down donations and favors from the death merchants of the military/industrial complex. Eventually we bugged out just as if there were no negotiations, with many more dead.
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p>If “Progressive” has anything to do with progress, why not turn the military around in Iraq and Afghanistan and exit the way we came in. We didn’t negotiate our way in, why negotiate our way out? Is it so important for our military to guard the opium crop for another season?