9/8/2019
My dear friend and president, DJT,
It's too bad that your peace plan did not work out. Have you spoken with Zalmay Khalilzad (ZMK) about it? I can only imagine his disappointment after 9 rounds of talks in Doha with some unsavory characters only to have it all ruined. As I try to wrap my head around the Afghan situation this morning I am wondering how we might help the women there. I think that Senator Jeanne Shaheen is correct when she says that "peace is 35% more likely to succeed when women are at the negotiating table" so I suggest that you start from scratch with the peace talks and get women like Sediqa Sherzai (SS) and Mahbouba Seraj (MS) involved. They both run radio shows in Afghanistan where women call in and talk about their problems including the challenges of polygamy and forced marriage. I know that SS and MS would remind everyone of the importance of having girls attend school and letting women show their faces. As you continue the peace process, please make sure women are involved!
I encourage you to call Rep Adam Kinzinger, who as you know was very upset to hear that you were going to host Taliban leaders at Camp David. He can give you some advice on how to handle those guys. He's spent some time in Afghanistan so has some firsthand experience with the dynamic there.
Please keep in mind that War is NOT the Answer and try to be your best self as you figure out what to do next.
Holding you in the Light
