Afghanistan's Future Must Include Taliban

President Obama, in spelling out the new U.S. strategy on Afghanistan this month, said that the United States will countenance dialogue with some elements of the Taliban: "We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens."

But "opening the door" should in practice mean allowing moderate elements of the Taliban to share power in a democratic Afghan system.

This is not as startling as it might seem, and it is vital to understand why it is so important. First, many Taliban fighters are simply peripheral Taliban militants. They joined the Taliban as a pragmatic opportunity for advancement in a country where most power comes from conservative Islam or guns. They typically fight close to the village where they live and grew up, and so lack the mobility of a true militia. Only a minority are "core" Taliban, such as Mullah Mohammed Omar and the conservative junta that took power in Afghanistan in 1996.