In regard to negotiations with the hardline Taliban, what has to be done is what has been done, what is part of negotiation strategies in any civil war. You have to compel the hardliners to understand that the objectives they seek cannot be gained, that their war cannot be won. The way you do that comes both politically and militarily.
Right now, as I noted before, the reason the Taliban have such confidence is that they have some machinery behind them. They have resources, they have money, and they have training that is coming from the Pakistani border area. As long as they have those things, the Taliban are not interested in negotiating because they perceive themselves to be in a winning position.
The Taliban see the wavering of the international community in terms of troop presence in Afghanistan. They see a reluctance in the international community to engage Pakistan on the issue of the Taliban. They see themselves to be on the winning side. In fact, they're rather optimistic that they're going to have Kabul by this summer. Negotiating in a situation where there is such a level of confidence in terms of their strategic position is not going to get you anywhere, in my view.
The other point I'd make is that in terms of negotiation and having discussions, there's not a problem with that with any group. Bargaining is the issue. Bargaining and giving away the south of Afghanistan is what I have heard in some discussions that I have found very disturbing. I think that's a failed strategy.
In terms of micro-credit, I think this is something Canada should absolutely be applauded for, because often it takes very little money to change lives. What I've noted in the refugee camps, where my colleague Ms. Niazi worked, is that you saw the dynamics change in terms of women's positions when they had income. When they brought food to the table, their power in the house changed. This was where a lot of the women emerged as leaders. They're the civil society leaders in Afghanistan today, because once you gain earning power in any country, you end up getting more power. Oftentimes it takes very little money.
In addition, one of the reasons why the micro-credit program would be so effective is that it enables the women themselves to figure out how they can earn income while respecting the cultural constraints they have to live with. If they can't leave the house but they can sew fabrics at home and that's the way they're going to bring money in, then they can do that. But you leave it up to them to figure out how that's going to be done, while at the same time giving them earning power to change their power position in the house.