The Challenge of Afghan Power-Sharing

The much-touted, first-ever public negotiations between the United States and the Afghan Taliban were scheduled to commence June 20 but hit a snag even before they began. The Afghan government decided to pull out of the talks, underscoring how difficult it will be for U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to get the Taliban to come to a power-sharing deal without undermining the fragile polity that the West has spent the past 12 years building.