Talks with Taliban Confirmed

The head of Afghanistan’s peace council confirmed that the government had been in indirect talks with the Taliban, and that international support had helped the talks gain steam. NATO and White House officials said they were allowing the safe passage of top Taliban leaders to Kabul for preliminary peace talks, an unmistakable sign that coalition forces approve of—and are even encouraging—the discussions that could end the war. American support for the talks could also signify a growing pessimism that despite the Afghan surge, the U.S. is unlikely to decisively beat the Taliban.