Gen. McKiernan, ISAF and U.S. Forces CommanderThat's lower case "t" taliban. Not these guys, but the Afghans that are just working with the Taliban for opportunistic reasons like money and power. This may be an effective tactic in turning the tide for a counter-insurgency operation that has seen an increase in violence. I've been weary of reconciliation because Pakistan trying to cut deals with the Taliban have been met with disaster, and possibly because the word "Taliban" is akin to "AIDS" or "The Plague" or "Guns N' Roses without Slash" in our modern lexicon. However, he's not some mealy-mouthed politician looking to stir up lies about war to get votes, so I'm giving him a chance. Wired has the full story.