Talkin' Petraeus point-blank blues.

General David Petraeus recently explained that negotiating with the Taliban might help reduce violence in Afghanistan.

The British commander there agreed.

"Asked about those remarks, Petraeus noted that Britain's long experience negotiating with adversaries helped reduce violence in Iraq. 'They've sat down with thugs throughout their history, including us in our early days, I suspect,' he said."

Petraeus sees value in talking to Taliban (Reuters)