So the US overthrew the Taliban, only to invite them back in

"Consider this: it is likely to take another nine months to get the rest of the deployment in place; nine months after that, Obama is pledged to start bringing them home; and this week, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, told Congress: "The Taliban have a growing influence in most of Afghanistan's provinces, and the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan remains the epicentre of global terrorism."

What we have in Afghanistan is a stalemate. That's why some governments have been opening back-channel lines of communication with the Taliban. The conflict will be resolved by negotiation - but not any time soon." (thanks Ali)