Michael Hughes: Kabul attempting to negotiate with the Taliban is a worthwhile endeavor for symbolic purposes alone, not to mention the brute fact the war will never end if parties to the conflict never communicate. With that being said, however, expectations should be set that striking a peace deal is highly unlikely in the current environment, especially given Taliban preconditions, Afghan government infighting and political legitimacy issues, along with the not-so-hidden agendas of certain external actors, most notably Pakistan. Click here to read more.