An anti-Taliban commander who fought alongside US forces during the 2001 invasion predicted that proposed peace talks would be a "long and complex process" but likely would be snubbed by hard-liners and foreign fighters in the Islamic militia. The comments by Gen. Bismillah Khan - made during a visit by the most senior US military chief for the region - appeared to reflect a more cautious approach by some in the Afghan military toward a push by President Hamid Karzai to open talks with the Taliban. "This could be a beginning," Khan said following meetings with Adm. William Fallon, the head of US Central Command. "But it's a long and complex process. It's not something that will have a significant effect in the short term."