The Afghan Taliban are still a force to be reckoned with in diplomatic circles. At least this is the message coming out of Indonesia. For not only did the militant group bag themselves a last-minute invitation to what was supposed to be a trilateral conference — they also succeeded in getting the agenda changed. All of which may or may not suggest Taliban are winning the war of ideas in their war-ravaged country. Initially, the Jakarta powwow had been scheduled as a meeting of religious scholars from Indonesia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was reportedly convened at the behest of the Kabul regime with a view to issuing a fatwa against Taliban notions of holy war. Yet instead it had to make do with a joint statement declaring that suicide attacks were against Islamic principles. All of which fell sligthly short of what President Ghani had hoped for. The latter needs to demonstrate both patience and pragmatism. Following 17 long years of uninterrupted warfare and military occupation — and still counting — Kabul can afford this much. For it was only back in February that Ghani tabled the unconditional Taliban peace package. This must be understood as an opening offer. Immediate results have always been off the table. Not least because the major sticking point for the militant outfit is the American troop presence. It will settle for nothing more than an immediate withdrawal on this front; something that Pakistan also supports. The Afghan government needs to give this serious consideration. Admittedly, if the US were to pack up and leave, the country would likely see an upsurge in violence in the short-term; as rival groups fight over who gets the biggest piece of the post-war pie. But be that as it may, this is the only way to secure peace in the long-term and strengthen the civilian regime. For nearly two decades of American military occupation has helped transform the Taliban, at least in their own eyes, as anti-imperialists battling it out for the liberation of their nation. And the longer they are enabled to do this — the more distant becomes the memory of a religious extremist group that wants to keep women at home and in purdah. Thus the way forward might be for Ghani to give the Taliban what they want for a set period of time. This may mean postponing elections until next year but that should be no biggie. And then once US and NATO forces are out of theatre and, momentarily out of business, this is when Kabul can start tackling the issue of religious scholars and fatwas. But this has to go beyond the mechanics of jihad to address the right to religious pluralism and fundamental rights for all ethnic groups and, of course, women. It cannot just be about the safety of occupying and national defence forces. In short, only an American withdrawal will allow the Afghan people to see the true face of the Taliban. And whether or not they sincerely want the best for the country. * Published in Daily Times, May 13th 2018.