Live Mint: Pakistan has managed to sell the flawed theory that the Taliban can be used to fight the Islamic State – After the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, including the one which killed five UAE diplomats, Russia has “(urged) the warring parties in Afghanistan, primarily the leaders of the Taliban movement, to renounce violence and to take urgent action to launch intra-Afghan dialogue”. Even if the Taliban has denied any role in the killing of diplomats—because, many Afghans say, its benefactors in Pakistan want to avoid the UAE’s wrath—the verbiage of the spokesperson of the Russian ministry of foreign affairs is interesting. It recognizes the Taliban as just one among multiple warring parties in Afghanistan, and emphasizes its inclusion in the peace process. Click here to read more (external link).