U.S. confirms talks with Taliban

You mean like Layton suggested a few years ago?

You mean when the Taliban had a much stronger presence in the south, and would likely have routed the elected government in Kandahar.

Gates is delusional if he seriously thinks he can put enough pressure on the Taliban militarily to make them come to the table and accept America's terms for peace. Kissinger tried this in Vietnam and it worked out...................how? And when you think about it the Vietnamese weren't even half as radical as these asshats.

The Taliban will likely, for all intents and purposes sit it out in Pakistan making the occasional foray across the border to plant bombs and kill NATO troops while watching the Americans hemorrhage money.

You mean when the Taliban had a much stronger presence in the south, and would likely have routed the elected government in Kandahar.

Yeah, yeah. In time the rightwingers will be saying what Layton said long ago. You're not seriously suggesting that the Taliban are terminally weakened are you? Once NATO leaves they'll either take over or continue to skirmish with the Warlords. And are the Warlords really that much preferable to the Taliban? Is that what we fought so long for, sacrificed so many people, to give Astan back to the warlords?

It was the same with Vietnam. You were a commie pinko if you said the US should get out, and then all of a sudden you were the US regime itself.

Oh Im not implying that at all, the Taliban are like separatists. I dont think we will ever completely get rid of them, and it would not have been wise to appease them when they were at they still quite effective. Not that they are impotent now, but with Osama dead and more effective attacks being conducted on their leadership, they are not at the same strength as several years ago.

Maybe a currently weaker Taliban will be more willing to negotiate than when Layton suggested it. I doubt it. Or lets say they'll happily negotiate any time we want, and agree to anything we want (specially if we give them money) and then as soon as we leave do whatever they want anyway. They know we're not coming back. And I think they'll win large chunks of the country, because for the average Afghani (man) they're probably preferable to the warlords.