"Abandon" is such a harsh word. But after a troop surge in Afghanistan—and a failure to weaken the Taliban—U.S. officials are no longer aiming for a peace deal with the Taliban. Instead, senior coalition officers tell The New York Times that the military is now satisfied with letting Afghan officials hash out an agreement after coalition forces withdraw. The failure to strike a meaningful relationship with the Taliban brings into question the "gains" Obama reported when announcing the troop surge in 2009.
