Afghanistan Eyes Taliban Peace Ahead Of Nato Withdrawal -- Caroline Wyatt, BBC
There is exactly one year to go before Afghans are asked to go to the polls to elect a new president, and just months later Nato combat troops will finish their withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Last weekend, Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited Qatar to pave the way for eventual peace talks with the Taliban - talks which many had once hoped would have begun in earnest by now.
The adviser who accompanied him to Qatar was Masoom Stanakzai, the head of the Afghan High Peace Council.
He has told the BBC that he believes the Taliban leadership does want a peace process.
But he warns time is running out, and the opportunity to make peace in Afghanistan must not be lost.
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My Comment: Afghan efforts are now being mocked by the Taliban. As to waht is my take .... U.S. General Dempsey is right .... the US decision on how many troops to keep in Afghanistan should wait for summer fighting .... but I suspect that it is politics that is now driving U.S. policy in Afghanistan .... not military strategy and priorities.