Petraeus would be wise to listen to Rashid...He knows more about the Taliban than anyone. He has contacts that no American could ever get and his knowledge is vast. That said, in the ways of Islam, one always must be a skeptic, for lying and deceit are time honored traditions.
Just about anyone from the Paki army is an “authority” on Taliban, they are the ones that created them and are running them. Paki army is part of the problem not part of the solution. So good luck with Rashid!