"First the Woodward book makes Karzai out to be personally unstable and now it appears we are following his lead?"

Swoop:

"... US policy makers are now more open to the concept of  negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan. This reflects a sober assessment that, given President Karzai’s intention to follow this course, the US needs to make itself part of the same process. Behind the scenes, this approach is still highly controversial. As one Pentagon planner opposed to this course privately told us:  "First the Woodward book makes Karzai out to be personally unstable and now it appears we are following his lead?  This is crazy." Leaks and counter-leaks are to be expected. On the Middle East peace process, the most vivid image described to us by a senior State Department official is that “it is a play carried out by the walking dead.” With President Obama preoccupied and unwilling to risk political capital, our sense remains that prospects for progress are minimal ..."