Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Maulvi Omar has offered negotiations with the Pakistani government “without any conditions.” The Pakistani government has previously offered such negotiations, but demanded that the TTP first lay down their arms and agree to expel all foreigners from the tribal areas.
Maulvi Omar seemed open to the possibility, saying that the TTP would be willing to lay down arms so long as the Pakistani government ceases its offensives against them. He also said his faction would be willing to cooperate with the government in driving out foreigners and preventing infiltration into Afghanistan. He also was open to promising the TTP would not cross into Afghanistan to fight there, saying the Afghan Taliban was powerful enough on its own.
punditman says...It is important to point these things out to illustrate the complex, nuanced situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. You don't get that in the mainstream media, and you don't get that inside most people's heads -- where everything is good guys (us) vs. bad guys (meaning whoever the government and the military says are the bad guys) .
