June 2013
41 posts
Humanities, social sciences critical to our future: Column →
usatoday.com
David Skorton and Norman Augustine: Humanities, social sciences critical to our future.
“Since the United States is withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban will be a major player in the country’s future. Negotiations are a way of brokering the transition. Any promises made, however, are unlikely to last once the Americans are gone.
Historically, peace agreements work only when one side has decisively defeated the other or both sides are exhausted. Neither seems to be the case here. Unfortunately, military force will probably play the deciding role. Given Afghanistan’s history in the years before 2001, that’s not a comforting thought.” —Barry Strauss, chair of the Department of History at Cornell University and an author of 11 books on military history, comments on today’s announcement by the Taliban that it will enter peace talks with the U.S. and Afghan governments.
Historically, peace agreements work only when one side has decisively defeated the other or both sides are exhausted. Neither seems to be the case here. Unfortunately, military force will probably play the deciding role. Given Afghanistan’s history in the years before 2001, that’s not a comforting thought.” —Barry Strauss, chair of the Department of History at Cornell University and an author of 11 books on military history, comments on today’s announcement by the Taliban that it will enter peace talks with the U.S. and Afghan governments.
