When it comes to peace negotiations, the Taliban have been cheating the West and Afghan government. Since the initiation of peace and reconciliation process, Afghan government says, thousands of Taliban fighters have joined it. They have renounced practicing violence and have started a new life within normal Afghan society. However, many of those who have joined the peace process are fake Taliban and others have moved back to Taliban's side after obtaining monetary rewards from Afghan government.

The Karzai administration should not fly blind. It should not be overly optimistic about Taliban's intention towards resolving the Afghan war through table talks. There is an easy formula through which one can realize whether the Taliban have truly intended to talk or not. When Taliban stops planting bombs, killing civilians and sending suicide bombers to kill Afghan and international forces, then their true intention for peacenegotiation will be confirmed.

Recently, a senior commander of Taliban regime who is also a former Gitmo detainee has said that insurgency cannot regain Taliban power over Kabul. The veteran, identified only as Maulvi in the interview for the New Statesman, said although admitting weakness would harm themorale of their troops, the Taliban recapturing Kabul was now "a verydistant prospect".

"Any Taliban leader expecting to be able to captureKabul is making a grave mistake. Nevertheless, the leadership also knows thatit cannot afford to acknowledge this weakness. To do so would undermine themorale of Taliban personnel. The leadership knows the truth – that they cannotprevail over the power they confront," he said.

Maulvi's opinion about Taliban's strength canbe deemed similar to the views of hardliner regime's top leadership. He has confirmed what the US and Afghan authorities have been saying about Taliban. US and Afghan military authorities say the Taliban have grown weak and have been driven away from their traditional safe havens. Nonetheless, growth interrorism and day to day killing of civilians and military personnel by Taliban's militancy speak of their strength.

Also, it would be wrong to assume that Taliban– who according to Maulvi cannot over throw the Kabul government – are ready to resolve war through table talks. It is believed that certain countries are funding and providing war equipments to the Taliban and would never allow them to independently take decisions. Therefore, an abrupt solution to the Afghan war, at a time when insurgency has become manifold, is not observable at current.