Endgame in Afghanistan?

Steve Coll quoted in the NYT's Lede blog: "[T]he United States is essentially waging a proxy war against its own ally. The Taliban are a proxy of the government of Pakistan. We are an ally of the government of Pakistan. We are fighting the Taliban. In the end, the Taliban will be defeated strategically when the government of Pakistan makes a strategic decision that its future does not lie in partnership with Islamic extremists." Complete post: Cutting a Deal With the Taliban.