Patrick Christys: Boris Johnson has sent diplomats to meet Taliban terrorists - why would they listen to us?

We have just officially shaken the blood-soaked hands of the Taliban.

Boris Johnsonsent a delegation over to meet the terrorists in a bid build a better relationship with them. After billions of pounds spent on the war and thousands of lives lost, the upshot is that the only thing we’ve achieved is a minor upturn in diplomatic relations with a terror group.

It is worth noting what the Taliban actually wanted from this meeting – they wanted us to help secure the release of billions of dollars worth of Taliban assets around the world that have been frozen by the US government. $9.5bn to be precise.

Essentially, the Taliban are asking us to lobby our oldest ally to help turn the warlords into billionaires.

When Boris Johnson revealed the slogan ‘Build Back Better’ at Tory Party conference, I didn’t realise he was referring to the Taliban. Ok, so what did we ask for in return?

Well, the things we spoke to them about included improving rights of minorities, securing safe passage out for anyone who wanted to leave and asking them if they wouldn’t mind very much not turning the country into an incubator for terrorism. I mean, it’s not going to happen is it?

Taliban patrols have returned to the streets, barbers have been told not to cut peoples beards – so the old-school beard police are back – they’ve been rounding up anyone who used to help out allied troops, and our diplomatic meeting with the militia men came on the same day that Amnesty International revealed war crimes and the potential start of an ethnic genocide committed after they murdered 13 ethnic Hazara people, including a teenage girl. It’s the second such incident since the Taliban took back control since August.

Let’s have a look shall we at some of the people we met up with. Baradar the Butcher – who sounds like a lovely geezer, he actually helped found the Taliban, fight against the Russians, march the Taliban into Kabul when they sent the Russians packing, he then took safe haven in Pakistan, naturally, before the CIA forced Pakistan to arrest him.

Then the Trump administration requested his release so he could help broker peace. And, yes, he marched back into Kabul again. This guy isn’t going to listen to a single word from us is he?

My point is that I do not think we are going to get what we want anyway. If we help give the Taliban back $9.5bn in return for promises about human rights, safe passage out for those who helped us and not helping to create a terror hotbed both in that country, and across the region…then call me a cynic, but I do not think we will get much value for money there.