"I don't think anybody controls the Taliban, but I think Pakistan probably has the greatest influence." Dobbins said.
Speaking at the US embassy after talks with the Pakistan leadership during the day, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, the ambassador said that Pakistan had expressed its commitment to continue its support and to use its influence in the Afghan peace process.
"I don't think anybody controls the Taliban, but I think Pakistan probably has the greatest influence."
Dobbins though clarified he said he believes Pakistan does not have a controlling influence on the Taliban, but does enjoy more influence than others.
The envoy also sought to allay Pakistan’s apprehensions it will be abandoned following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan. "History doesn't necessarily repeat itself, and I think we have learnt some lessons too."
"We have achieved a fairly stable and positive level and I anticipate we will expand that cooperation."
Taliban office
Dobbins spoke about the dispute over the Taliban office in Qatar which has threatened to scupper the delicately crafted window to speak peace over Afghanistan.
The dispute arose after the Taliban put up a plaque of "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" and the white flag at their Doha office, which did not go well first with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai and then the US government with the office being seen as a Taliban government in exile.
The envoy said that the United States was the first to react and informed the government of Qatar that it was inconsistent with the assurances given to it before the initiation of talks. He termed the office as a "misunderstanding" and an attempt by the Taliban to "stage a propaganda coup in an exaggerated manner."
Dobbins said the US then asked for the signs to be removed. "This has been done. We are waiting to see if they [Taliban] are willing to engage."
Taliban can’t roll clock back
Even as the US gears up for bringing the Taliban back into mainstream by talking with the Taliban, given they are “still a significant military force”, Dobbins ruled out that the group that ruled Afghanistan prior to 2001, would be able to make things as they were once before.
However, he did predict that the situation may get worse once the US troops pull out.
The situation could only get slightly worse Dobbins said, before adding that there was already a civil war in the country, but it could not get worse like in the 90s.
"Afghanistan has changed in fairly fundamental ways that make it difficult for it to get back to a decade or more," he said and mentioned the large number of schools, hospitals, paved roads and other basic facilities that did now exist in the country.
"They [Taliban] can't roll the clock back."
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@Ahmed41: " and Pakistan will use this influence for its own self interest"... Why else on Earth would some country want to exercise influence over the Taliban? Of corse it is in our interest to make efforts to put an end to this menace called 'terrorism' ( which seems to have originated post 9/11, and seems more of a self fulfilling prophecy). Self interest is the key, whether it be politics, efforts towards peace or what not. SELF INTEREST keeps India 'interested' in all affairs in Afghanistan, it is what formed the very basis of the 'war on terror' by America. I don't think I, a common citizen of Pakistan, would want us interested in Taliban Affairs if my country was not constantly being rocked with explosions, the result of our decision to side with Americans, having been threatened to be sent back to the stone age if we did not 'cooperate'.
If Pakistan has so much control over the Taliban then someone please explain why 1/2 of Pakistan is under the control of the Taliban?
"The Americans will ultimately do the right thing after they have tried every thing else". I wish the common American is as aware as we are. Their value system is totally missing. They don't have any ethics of war. They cannot have one value system for themselves and another for the enemy. It never works. It is not be easy to get out of Afghanistan and they have started to realize it.
What about the foreign hand which is supposed to be controlling Taliban?
Actually now US wants to leave Afghanistan and now trying to find the safe passages because US has totally and badly failed to achieve its targets for which purposes US entered Afghanistan.This is why now US is seeing towards Pakistan as the only silver lining in the dark clouds for successful negotiations with Taliban for safe withdrawal's passages because the roads US shall use for withdrawal the Taliban live nearby..........
and what the US who created them. accept your failure
So what!
Afghan Taliban control 80% of Afghanistan. That is why US wants to TAlk.
“I don’t think anybody controls the Taliban, but I think Pakistan probably has the greatest influence.”
@Ek Tha Kashmiri
As they say, 'A man is known by the company he keeps'. Applies equally to nations. To gloat about having influence over a bunch of retarded jombies is obscene at the least.
@Babloo: the key to human success was found only in 7th century AD.
The terrorist groups operating in Pakistan are many, having different agendas and loyalties. These groups are controlled and funded by various international powers and are used to destabilize Pakistan, to keep us on our knees; Pakistani Taliban is one such terrorist group, and there is now plenty of evidence that it has no relation with the real Afghan Taliban led by Mulla Omar. The Afghan Taliban, a ragtag army of freedom fighters, who have virtually no resources and no support, are fiercely independent and are not controlled by any country, have forced the world's only superpower to kneel down. America is desperate to talk peace with them, and to ask them for safe passage. If this is not defeat, what is?
“I don’t think anybody controls the Taliban, but I think Pakistan probably has the greatest influence.”
Pakistan is getting a 2nd life. Let us hope it is a bit wiser now and will focus on long-term goals, and treat Afghanistan as an independent country.
By saying that Pakistan has more influence on Taliban than others means: "do more"' "do more".
I think the other way that Taliban had more influence on Pakistan than other countries and this is one of the reasons that the death and destruction caused by Taliban in Pakistan is much more than other countries.
The genius of Taliban is that the clock they work with is stuck in 7th century AD.
Pakistan is no doubt a big player in geo politics, thanks for understanding after loosing 12 years long war uncle sam!!!