Deals with Taliban could be dangerous

CNN-By Peter Bergen CNN National Security Analyst

It is a longstanding cliché that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, only a political one.
Linked to this is the newer, related notion, rapidly becoming a cliché, that the United States should start making deals with elements of the "reconcilable" Taliban.
As with many clichés, there is some truth to both these notions, but neither of these comforting ideas are a substitute for a strategy that is connected to what is happening on the ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sunday's New York Times ran an interview with President Obama in which he said that, just as the U.S. had made peace agreements with Sunni militias in Iraq, "There may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and in the Pakistani region." He also cautioned that this could be "more complex" than was the case in Iraq.
It's not only going to be more complex, but doing deals with the Taliban today could further destabilize Afghanistan. (continues)