In Oct. 2001, Colin Powell floated the idea of negotiating with "moderate" elements in the Taliban to form a new Afghan government when Mullah Omar was run out of Kabul.
Conservatives hated the idea at the time. Far better to stay in Afghanistan for a decade and try to rebuild the country along Western-approved lines while transforming its people. And who knows, maybe that idea was completely untenable and wouldn't have facilitated a smoother American exit from Afghanistan than the nation building approach embraced by the Bush administration.
But now it turns out that an effort is underway to bring the Taliban on board, with the endorsement of both Secretary Gates and General McChrystal. The difference now, of course, is that we're in a dramatically weaker position now than we were in 2001. And the Taliban? Much stronger.
(AP Photo)