"When I lived in Kabul a couple of years ago, it seemed unimaginable that the Taliban could return. The regime was considered a spent force and generally disliked by Afghans. Mullah Omar gathered his associates, told them they were on their own and fled on his motorcycle. Today there are reports of Taliban attacks as close as two hours from the capital. Nato's forces are getting hammered in the south by an astonishingly strong insurgency. Suicide bombs, utterly alien to the Afghan fighting culture, are now common. At the same time, Nato air strikes are hitting innocent civilians and increasing the population's resentment against the western armies. In this mess, there is talk of making a deal with the Taliban leadership, whoever they may be, in a bid to bring peace to the south. This is a dangerous idea."
PS So the US is now holding talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Ba`ithists in Iraq. Note to self: Remember that.