As it seeks advantage in its long-running standoff with the West, Russia has used a variety of tools, including diplomacy. In its most recent attempt to gain a diplomatic edge against Washington, it has launched a bold attempt to wind down four decades of war in Afghanistan. In Moscow on Nov. 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry hosted a multinational conference on the conflict that included officials from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the United States and Uzbekistan. Most significantly, however, the roster of attendees included representatives of Afghanistan's Taliban. The insurgent group, which previously had spurned attendance at any multinational conferences dealing with the conflict, sent a five-member delegation to the Moscow meeting. While details of the meeting have yet to be released, the Taliban unsurprisingly rejected calls from Afghan representatives to start peace talks without preconditions....
