Dialogue does not mean defeat

WHEN neither side can achieve the upper hand in a game of chess, it is only a matter of time before a stalemate is declared.

In a protracted battle in which no one enjoys the upper hand, the question is not if, but when there will be an impasse. Chess is, of course, a world away from the painful deadlock between States and terror groups characterised by the loss of lives and social upheaval – but it’s a useful analogy.

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