U.S. and U.K. Prep Taliban Talks

Will the new strategy in Afghanistan end up resulting in a breakthrough similar to the "Sunni awakening" that helped turn the tide in Iraq? British and U.S. forces are preparing to engage the "second tier" of the Taliban, seizing an opportunity created by a successful campaign to push back the Taliban in vital Afghan territories. Now, local Taliban leaders are isolated and likely willing to negotiate. The talks will help facilitate reconciliation between the Afghan government and the insurgents. The efforts at diplomacy, which appear to be spearheaded by British forces, are expected to be endorsed in a briefing paper prepared by U.S. General Stanley McChrystal. The Guardian reports that "talks with the Taliban" is proving to be a hard sell, as combat continues in the war-torn region.