Cognitive dissonance. "Taliban Denies Negotiating, or Being Willing to Negotiate, With U.S., NATO, or Karzai Government," from [1] MEMRI, November 12 (thanks to Jeffrey Imm):

In a statement published in the latest issue of the Taliban monthly Al-Sumud, Taliban Deputy Commander Mullah Berader claimed that "the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] is not conducting any negotiations with the Americans, NATO, or the collaborationist Karzai administration."

"Karzai to brief Brown on secret Taliban talks," from [2] ANI, November 13 (thanks again to Jeffrey Imm):

London, Nov.13 : Afghan President Hamid Karzai, will today brief British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on talks being held with the Taliban with the aim of ending the conflict in his country.

According to The Independent, Karzai is due to meet Brown after flying into London from New York. He has already briefed Saudi Arabian King Abdullah and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on the issue.

Karzai is on a short visit to Britain to attend Prince Charles' 60th birthday party and will see Brown before the latter heads for Washington for the G-20 summit.

Britain maintains a public posture of not talking to the Taliban, although secret talks have indeed been held, but supports the Afghan regime's efforts to direct peace overtures towards the Islamist group....

The anti-negotiation position among the Taliban was articulated recently [3] here:

Don't even ask Mullah Sabir about peace talks. There's nothing to talk about, says the tall, burly Afghan, one of the Taliban's highest-ranking commanders. "This is not a political campaign for policy change or power sharing or cabinet ministries," he tells NEWSWEEK at a textiles shop on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. "We are waging jihad to bring Islamic law back to Afghanistan."

"We are waging jihad to bring Islamic law back to Afghanistan." Noted.