Peace in Afghanistan?

The NYTimes has a must-read article from Dexter Filkins, one of the great war correspondents writing today. The story? That negotiations are under way in Afghanistan/Pakistan between the Taliban and the intermediaries of the Afghani government on a potential peace agreement.

The US isn't involved, and is commited to sending 20,000 new troops, so it could be that the Taliban wants to get something put together while they still have some bargaining chips.

Can we assume that the Obama effect has anything to do with this?

While the talks have been under way for months, they have accelerated since Mr. Obama took office and have produced more specific demands, the Afghan intermediaries said.

And what does the Taliban want in an agreement?

The first demand was an immediate pullback of American and other foreign forces to their bases, followed by a cease-fire and a total withdrawal from the country over the next 18 months. Then the current government would be replaced by a transitional government made up of a range of Afghan leaders, including those of the Taliban and other insurgents. Americans and other foreign soldiers would be replaced with a peacekeeping force drawn from predominantly Muslim nations, with a guarantee from the insurgent groups that they would not attack such a force. Nationwide elections would follow after the Western forces left.

I wonder, how would an end to the war affect your posting, Yousef? And do you really think we can expect to see an end to hostilities very quickly?