The British have been caught negotiating with the Taliban - something Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, expressly, that they wouldn’t do.

Agents from MI6 entered secret talks with Taliban leaders despite Gordon Brown’s pledge that Britain would not negotiate with terrorists, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

An intelligence source said: “The SIS officers were understood to have sought peace directly with the Taliban with them coming across as some sort of armed militia. The British would also provide ‘mentoring’ for the Taliban.”

The disclosure comes only a fortnight after the Prime Minister told the House of Commons: “We will not enter into any negotiations with these people.”

Opposition leaders said that Mr Brown had “some explaining to do”.

Good to know that an “ally” was negotiating directly with terrorist supporters of the 9/11 attacks, giving safe haven to al Qaeda. Bryan points to another article, revealing that the British  aren’t the only Europeans who have some explaining to do.

Two European diplomats, a Briton and an Irish citizen, have been asked to leave Afghanistan after they traveled to the troubled southern province of Helmand…

President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman earlier said two foreigners — apparently the U.N. and European Union officials — had been arrested. But because the two have diplomatic immunity they were never technically arrested. Siddique said the U.N. was told that “their presence was detrimental to the national security of the country.”

Karzai’s spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, said the two were “involved in some activities that were not their jobs.”

I’d say I’m surprised, but I try to stay away from lying here.