President Trump says the Taliban must give up Bagram Air Base, or else.
The language of threats and force won't scare the Taliban into submission but if Washington asks nicely and uses honey instead of vinegar they can definitely regain this precious base.
One thing that must be remembered is that Islamist organizations like the Taliban are politically pragmatic once in power. These people would slaughter their own kin, mothers and cousins, to stay in power. So why wouldn't they work with Washington if it approaches them with a proposition that benefits them?
The Taliban knows it has enemies all around it, above all next door in Pakistan. Pakistan is a spiteful father to the terrorist group. It doesn't want it to get too powerful and start encroaching on its own territory. Iran and India actively worked against them in the past two decades, with Tehran even assisting Washington in its invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
So from a geopolitical perspective this marriage makes sense. But Washington will only succeed to get what it wants if it approaches the Taliban with respect instead of arrogance. Trump has to drop the tough guy act and approach it like a businessman. There's a deal to be had here.
