Here in Kabul, there is a lot of talk about negotiations with the Taliban, as the new Peace Council has been formed. Most of what I hear from Afghans is sharp criticism over who sits on the Peace Council, including of the nine women who were appointed. Their ability to protect women's hard-fought for rights has been questioned by women leaders. Many people question the legitimacy of the process, and particularly, the credibility of those who have been appointed. The exact method of negotiations is unclear, and there is anxiety over a presumed lack of transparency.

The progressive member of parliament for Badakhshan, in north eastern Afghanistan, Fawzia Koofi, shares some of her reflections on talking to the Taliban, in the article below. She asks whether Karzai's government has the right to forgive the Taliban for their crimes, without the agreement of their victims: a very fair question, and one which nobody in the Afghan Government has yet bothered to answer.

Lauryn Oates is a Contributing Writer for The Propagandist.

Excerpt from Talking to Taliban or Sacrificing Women Rights? by Fawzia Koofi