The Guardian newspaper’s Jason Burke writes in the Sunday Observer of a secret Afghanistan peace process with the Taliban being brokered by Saudi Arabia and supported by Britian.  Burke writes:

“The unprecedented negotiations involve a senior former member of the hardline Islamist movement travelling between Kabul, the bases of the Taliban senior leadership in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and European capitals. Britain has provided logistic and diplomatic support for the talks – despite official statements that negotiations can be held only with Taliban who are ready to renounce, or have renounced, violence.”

Given the level of success the Taliban have had in battling coalition forces this year, it is surprising that the hardline movement would voluntarily come to the negociating table.

- Scott