US officials confirmed this week that they are considering a prisoner swap deal with the Taliban as part of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan next year.<br /><br />Officials say they are considering transferring five Taliban members out of the Guantanamo Bay prison, in a bid to begin negotiations for a peace deal with the Taliban.<br /><br />The confirmation appears to be a complete turnaround for the administration of US President Barack Obama. <br /><br />During his campaigning in 2008, Obama prioritised the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban vowing that it was a "war" the US had to win.<br /><br />But in recent comments, Joe Biden, Obama's vice-president, said the "...Taliban per se, is not [their] enemy". <br /><br />He cited the cost, complication and lack of popularity of large-scale efforts as reasons to "negotiate and to slowly withdraw".<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington.
