(Image Source: War News Updates)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS
 

You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy. 

The rumors have been confirmed. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Sunday talk shows that the U.S. has reached out to the Taliban.

CANDY CROWLEY: “President Karzai from Afghanistan says that the U.S. is talking directly to the Taliban in peace talks. Is that so?”
ROBERT GATES: “Well I think that there’s been outreach from a number of countries including the United States.

But Gates and experts agree -- the talk is premature. Risk assessment consultant Haseeb Humayoon tells Al Jazeera there’s still too many unanswered questions.

“We have to understand many concerns remain. Many concerns remain about who is talking about what are the issues being talked about, and what is on the table in terms of the achievements that have been made over the past 10 years.”

Already a sign that peace won’t come quickly -- reports of battles between the two sides emerged as the peace talks were confirmed. But a writer for the Christian Science Monitor says -- it’s to be expected.

“While intense fighting does not help the rapport between negotiators, both sides want to show battlefield momentum in order to attain more leverage at the peace table. The decentralized nature of this insurgency also makes cease-fires a less likely feature of this peace process.”

So most agree peace in Afghanistan is still long in coming. But Reuters is calling this the start of the draw-down President Obama promised when he took office. Troop withdrawal is scheduled to be complete by 2014.

Transcript by Newsy.