The last paragraph holds the great thought in this article: "Should the US agree to the Taliban demands, there is no guarantee that the Taliban would stick to their word......"
It would read much more realistically as - "Should the US agree to the Taliban demands, there is no guarantee that they ( the US) would stick to their word". The people who started this war - and have maintained it day by day for eight years are the same "establishment" that destroyed 54,000 young Americans in the Viet Nam war, before they realized that public opinion was coming down on them. As we are beginning to see, Obama has only his rhetoric going for him.

Link to atimes.com: atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LB03Df01.html
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atimes.net: www.atimes.net/Afghanistan/taliban-take-on-the-uss-surge.html

A fool's errand -

www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6141R220100205

A Taliban-like fundamentalist Islamic government in Afghanistan is inevitable. A withdrawal of US ground forces is inevitable. Why no save everyone time (and lives, as if that were a consideration), and get all non-Muslim troops out of Afghanistan?

"The Afghan war costs a lot of money, it costs Western lives and it cannot be won." And not a few lives of Afghans.

www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/LB13Df02.html

"China is far from alone among the regional powers to harbor deep misgivings about the US plan to reconcile the Taliban."

We note that the Americans have renamed the "Iraq Mission" as "Operation New Dawn." Suggested new name for the "Afghanistan Mission" - "Operation Same Old Shit."

I think the whole discussion on these morons is pointless and useless.This frankestein was created by the west with pakistan as a go between .The corrupt generals received dollars from saudi arabia and usa and did the mercenary work for them I am an ordinary pakistani why my 90% society is painted as Turban clad alien jihadis.It has to do with the semitic fight between two cousins jews and arabs who settle their biblical differences in foreign land like my pakistan.One cousin uses the slogan of islam and the other one plays on the fear and anxieties of west.One uses usa and and the other ignorant pakhtoons.For a son of pakistan both cousins are aliens.Now intelligent pakistanis have realized how luxury loving upstart arabs are using them.Our technology and skilled manpower is not for these slothful and goodfornothing people.These arabs cant fight with their cousins over the stretch of desert they call holy and drag pakistan and other non arab muslims.How these upstart arabs lead their lives Talibani leaders must visit gulf arab states!How these arabs treat other muslims ask a bangladeshi worker and their indonesian maid.Pakistanis should live like turks and concentrate on developing their country.