Just a citizen's opinion but if I were a senior TB commander, I would have no need to talk with anyone - the only state of flux I would be in is tactical adaptation whereas the Afghan government and NATO remains in tactical and ideological flux, so time is on my side, I have transgenerational assurance that my sons will continue the fight - what sustains me is the terrain and the opium, both are impervious to Western dominance. If you burn the opium, the farmer will fight with me, if you buy the opium, I will rob the farmer. The only thing I fear is development of infrastructure and irrigation that will give villagers viable alternatives worthy of defending against me.