Yes, but the question is why would the Taliban leader want to negotiate with us? We're on our way out. Obama has said so, regardless of what the situation on the ground might be. All Omar has to do is wait a few years and Afghanistan will fall right back into his lap.

The Telegraph:

Her comments been taken as a significant shift in American policy from moves to divide the Taliban-led insurgency and isolate Mullah Omar, the man who sheltered Osama bin Laden as he plotted the September 11 attacks, to an acknowledgement of his leadership.

It follows the disclosure earlier this month that American officials had met leaders of the Haqqani Network, the powerful Taliban faction blamed for some of the most devastating attacks on American and Nato forces in Afghanistan, including last month's attack on the US embassy in Kabul in which seven were killed and 19 wounded.

Earlier this week the faction's commander Sirajuddin Haqqani warned Washington that only the Quetta Shura, led by Mullah Omar, could negotiate a peace deal and that his fighters would not be divided from its leadership.

In an appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mrs Clinton said the United States would continue to "fight, talk and build" in Afghanistan and Pakistan to "test whether these organisations have any willingness to negotiate in good faith".

She said there was "evidence going both ways" on its intentions, citing the Haqqani Network's response to a Pakistan-brokered meeting in August between US officials and Ibrahim Haqqani, the brother of the group's top leader Jalaluddin Haqqani.

"Evidence going both ways?" What is she talking about? Just because a Haqqani leader shows up at a meeting with US officials, this is evidence they want a peace deal?

Hillary is either kidding herself, or, more likely, trying to put lipstick on a very ugly pig. As long as President Obama insists on telling our enemies when we are leaving, they have absolutely zero incentive to strike any kind of deal with us, or President Karzai.