An investigation by the Associated Press has revealed the Afghan government intentionally helped scuttle preliminary peace talks between the United States and the Taliban. According to the report, the Afghan government leaked details of clandestine meetings between Washington officials and a personal emissary of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. Once details of the talks emerged, the talks imploded, and the Taliban intermediary went into hiding. The AP reports the talks were deliberately revealed by someone within Hamid Karzai’s presidential palace out of fear that any agreement Washington brokered would undermine Karzai’s authority.