In an unusual move, the Afghan Taleban has published an open letter, addressed to the American people, expressing a wish to end the protracted bloodshed in their country through dialogue.

Some sections of the media describe the nearly 3,000-word letter, issued on Wednesday, as “rambling” but there is nothing unambiguous about the message it conveys: US mission in Afghanistan is doomed to fail.

The letter which also addresses officials of “independent nongovernmental organizations and the peace- loving Congressmen” asks what the longest conflict in American history has gained for them after spending "trillions of dollars.” The letter refers to widespread corruption in the government and describes how billions of dollars earmarked for various reconstruction projects are lining the pockets of “thieves and murderers.” American people should think “whether continuing insecurity, chaos and 87 percent increase in narcotics are reforms or crimes against humanity.” And there is the human cost. “Tens of thousands of helpless Afghans including women and children were martyred by your forces, hundreds of thousands were injured and thousands more were incarcerated in Guantanamo, Bagram and various other secret jails...”

Repeating the Taleban's longstanding offer of direct talks with Washington, the letter says the group has the right to form a government. But it will be a more inclusive regime, and will provide education and rights for all, including women.

The letter’s release comes as the US steps up airstrikes in support of anti-insurgent ground and air operations by Afghan forces, under President Donald Trump’s new war strategy. The president has also put more American boots on the ground. But to conclude that the Taleban is under increasing pressure to sue for peace will be misleading. The group has addressed the letter to the American public, instead of making an appeal to American officials either directly or through some emissaries.

The Taleban has stuck to its stand that it will only talk to US, not the “imposed”Ashraf Ghani government.

It is true that increased US bombings are causing casualties among the Taleban but air strikes or drone warfare will lead to a high number of civilian casualties. This will make the Afghan government and its international allies even more unpopular. This will be the case even if hundreds of innocent Afghans get killed or injured in vicious counter attacks staged by the Taleban.

Trump has made it clear that US will only consider talking to the Taleban if it sees real change in the security situation on the ground.

But a new report released by the Pentagon Inspector General on Friday contradicts the White House claims that escalation of the conflict was making headway. “No significant progress” was made in the war in all of 2017, according to the report. The stated goal was to get 80 percent of Afghanistan’s population under government control, but the report says that the US is no closer to reaching that goal. Security is so tenuous even in heavily fortified Kabul that American diplomats and soldiers are not allowed to use the roads in the capital city.

With January and early February seeing a pronounced increase in high-profile attacks in Kabul, 2018 is already shaping up to be a bad year, potentially worse than the record deaths of 2016. “Afghan civilians have been killed going about their daily lives — traveling on a bus, praying in a mosque, simply walking past a building that was targeted,” UN said in a statement.

If this is the situation after 16 years of nation-building or counterinsurgency, a further induction of troops or “surge” is not going to change the situation to America’s advantage. Instead of outrightly rejecting the Taleban’s offer, US should try to gauge their intentions. One question the US administration needs to ask is how will a grand total of 15,000 troops defeat the Taleban when more than 100,000 of America’s finest failed to do so in 2011-12.