Mr Obama's War: Taliban at the Gates

CNN has a dramatic headline this morning: "Taliban Poised at the Gates of Kabul". The story is based on interviews with two very different sources, a Taliban leader and a Kabul police commander.

It's an atmosphere piece rather than a consideration of latest developments, but the conclusion is still significant in its focus on the local rather than on plans for the US military:

Coalition forces have no choice by to keep rooting for Kabul's cops. By the end of the year, NATO will hand over much of the responsibility for securing the capital to the city's police force. And that will be a crucial test to see if this city and this country can stand on its own, even with the Taliban standing at the gate.