U S says The Taliban are not Terrorists

[MastanKhan]

Taliban Are Not Terrorists, or So Says the White House

By JONATHAN KARL 4 hours ago

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Taliban Are Not Terrorists, or So Says the White House (ABC News)
They act like terrorists, they regularly kill civilians like terrorists, but the White House does not consider the Afghan Taliban to be a terrorist group.
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“They do carry out tactics that are akin to terrorism. They do pursue terror attacks in an effort to try to advance their agenda,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest explained today, but “they have a different classification.”
Semantics aside, the Taliban is suspected in multiple attacks over just the last 48 hours that have killed more than 30 people, including a suicide bombing attack on a funeral in Afghanistan today that killed 16 and wounded 39.
White House: Yes, The Taliban Is a Terrorist OrganizationSuicide Bomb at Afghan Funeral for Taliban Victims Kills 16'Sunset' Deadline Passes for ISIS Prisoner Swap
Even so, the White House does not call the Afghan Taliban a terrorist organization, Earnest explained, because they are “different than an organization like al Qaeda that has a much broader global aspiration to carry out acts of violence and acts of terror against Americans and American interests all around the globe.”
The issue has come up because the White House insisted on Wednesday that a prisoner exchange between Jordan and ISIS would be different than the prisoner exchange the United States made last year with the Taliban to gain the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
“Our policy is that we don't pay ransom. We don't give concessions to terrorist organizations,” Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz said Wednesday. “This is a longstanding policy that predates this administration. And it's also one that we've communicated to our friends and allies across the world.”
Schultz explained that the exchange the United States made with the Taliban -- releasing five Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in exchange for the release of Sgt. Bergdahl -- was consistent with that policy because the Taliban is an “armed insurgency” and not a terrorist organization.
But the Obama administration isn’t entirely consistent on this point.
On one hand, the Afghan Taliban are not on the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (the Pakistan Taliban is on that last). On the other hand, the Taliban is on the Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, a classification that allows their assets to be frozen.
And even as Earnest was explaining why the Taliban are not terrorists, he slipped, calling them ... “terrorists.”
“We have not ruled out that there would be some situations in which U.S. service members would still carry out operations in self-defense against the Taliban or other terrorists who are operating in Afghanistan,” Earnest said.

 

[Viper0011.]

Taliban Are Not Terrorists, or So Says the White House
Taliban Are Not Terrorists, or So Says the White House (ABC News)
They act like terrorists, they regularly kill civilians like terrorists, but the White House does not consider the Afghan Taliban to be a terrorist group..

I think the history has it, we didn't try to mend in Taliban's business unless it was for Al-Qaeda. I think post 911, we had asked these Taliban nut cases to hand over OBL and they refused and refused. Result is right in front of them, their Al-Qaeda was decimated to ashes, OBL was captured after running away, from across the border and hundreds of leaders and operatives were killed.
Threat minimized. With Al-Qaeda gone, Taliban have no terrorist to protect.....so why waste US military's energy into something with minimal concern? Plus, the Pakistani's are taking care of Taliban issue and their side will soon be clean from the terrorism also.

The focus is now towards ISIS. The world needs to get rid of these crazy terrorists so it makes sense to focus on the real threat. Objectives achieved, perpetrators who attacked the US were sent to hell through hundreds of hell fire missiles. So time to move on and shift focus on ISIS, these crazy maniacs from ISIS in my opinion are crazier than Al-Qaeda.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

This was Pakistan's narrative since 2001 and we told this to the Americans. In fact ALL along the Americans never viewed taleban as "terrorists" in the sense that they (and Pakistan and all other countries) viewed al qaeda as the terrorists

"the Arab afghans" as the CIA, ISI used to refer to them as

The real issue was weaning AQ away from the taleban-controlled safe havens. Even before 9/11, ISI and Saudi intelligence sent a high profile delegation to Afghanistan to sit down with Mullah Omar. This was in 1998, just after the cowardly attacks on the US embassy in Tanzania and Kenya. Mullah Omar had sour relations with the Arabs at that point b/c they were getting too big for their boots and were not conducive to what was a RELATIVELY peaceful environment in Afghanistan. Mullah Omar was also very pissed off about OBL b/c of his abuse of Afghan hospitality. He knew the Arabs were going to bring bad attention to Afghanistan but he REFUSED demands of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to relinquish the Arabs on the very basis of tribal customs - whereby friends and non-friends alike are to be treated as guests when they seek shelter. These are ancient traditions.

It was a mistake on the talebans part to be stubborn, but they had no hand in any global jihadi ambitions. It was an even bigger mistake of NATO/USA to invade Afghanistan in the first place.

Phase 1 of the invasion was succesful. The taleban regime dropped like a sack of potatoes. But in Phase 2 (by 2003 onwards) taleban had re-grouped and launched new offensives to re-capture not just the areas they lost but also new areas where they never even had much influence.

With the focus on ISIS now - lessons should be learned. Afghanistan must not allow such elements in its territory; taleban and/or Pashtuns must have their fair share of representation; and the US and any other country on earth must think 1,000 times before engaging in any military mis-adventures in Afghanistan. You simply cant win there.

Hopefully the democratically elected government in Afghanistan can cater and work with the taleban/Islamic Emirate who are very much a part of Afghan society. Through peace and stability there, there will be no risk for radicalization on the Pakistani side of the border. Pakistan has paid one of the highest price here.


the fight against Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula as well as their rivals (ISIS) should be at the forefront of the agenda and it wont succeed through military means alone. And it wont be a short fight either. Striking at the root causes, ending the proxy wars and international cooperation to counter the FINANCING and support networks will be paramount

Taliban Are Not Terrorists, or So Says the White House

By JONATHAN KARL 4 hours ago

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On one hand, the Afghan Taliban are not on the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (the Pakistan Taliban is on that last).

the TTP has openly sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdady (Amir of ISIS), has ties to other terrorist groups operating in both Pakistan and Afghanistan

their agenda is a global one; they have well established ties with the IMU (Uzbekistan) and the militant Uighurs (some of whom have ties to al qaeda and are creating some disturbance in Chinas restive Xinjiang area). There are countries/elements that aim to destabilize Pakistan and China as well. You can use your imagination and ponder over who would want that.

 

[MastanKhan]

Abou,

The thing with the U S is---that it never learns a lesson. It blundered at every step in afg----it bundered at every step in Iraq---.

Now I realize that these blunders were intentional---. What had happened in Iraq was done on purpose---.

If Iraq was a Christian nation like Germany or a perspective future Christian nation like china, Japan or no korea----then after the invasion game plan would have been totally different. The management after the war would have been very progressive---all the resources of the nation would be used to re-build the nation---massive Christian missionary wr would have been carried on.

The problem was no one anticipated that the AMERICAN POSTER JAIL GUARD LYNDI ENGLAND and her boy friend would cause such a major crisis in the forming of ISIS and few years down the road.

 

[HRK]

So good Taliban bad Taliban is not a bad bad choice now ... uhhh ...

 

[Tameem]

Taliban have no terrorist to protect.....so why waste US military's energy into something with minimal concern?

So there is actually a distinction between Taliban's Now.....Wow!

 

[salarsikander]

Hi,

I would love to hear what American and their Wannabees who wouldnt shut their mouth when it comes to US policy has to say

 

[Pakistani E]

Here we have another case of the Americans leaving a mess in Afghanistan for Pakistan to clean. Now that the army has gone after the Taliban in Waziristan etc, the Americans say we are not playing anymore. Brilliant, we'll have to clean this mess up again.

 

[salarsikander]

Here we have another case of the Americans leaving a mess in Afghanistan for Pakistan to clean. Now that the army has gone after the Taliban in Waziristan etc, the Americans say we are not playing anymore. Brilliant, we'll have to clean this mess up again.

Hi,
Where is that ranting of do more now ? I Guess we should start asking Do more cowards

 

[Pakistani E]

Hi,
Where is that ranting of do more now ? I Guess we should start asking Do more cowards

It's an American novelty, start sh%t thn run away when sh%t truly hits the fan.

 

[Viper0011.]

Here we have another case of the Americans leaving a mess in Afghanistan for Pakistan to clean. Now that the army has gone after the Taliban in Waziristan etc, the Americans say we are not playing anymore. Brilliant, we'll have to clean this mess up again.

"Clean up this mess again" ....we are talking about these Talibans.....not 4 decades ago Mujahedeen. These Talibans were supported by the PA. Forgot about the "strategic depth" supported by the Pak Army? Until these Taliban started to consider Pakistan their strategic depth, you guys erren't doing anything. The cleanup needed to start about a decade ago when we constantly asked you to do this operation by PA wouldn't. So why complain about whether we are there or not?

 

[Pakistani E]

"Clean up this mess again" ....we are talking about these Talibans.....not 4 decades ago Mujahedeen. These Talibans were supported by the PA. Forgot about the "strategic depth" supported by the Pak Army? Until these Taliban started to consider Pakistan their strategic depth, you guys erren't doing anything. The cleanup needed to start about a decade ago when we constantly asked you to do this operation by PA wouldn't. So why complain about whether we are there or not?

I am not complaining. I'm laughing at the stupidity of some American actions. And the Taliban were NOT an exclusively Pakistani venture, the Saudis were well involved. The Americans knew what was happening, but didn't care. You guys just refuse to accept that your foreign policy is a mess, can you?

 

[Viper0011.]

So there is actually a distinction between Taliban's Now.....Wow!

Like I said, go through the history, after 911 attacks (not sure how old if young you were at that time), we asked the Talibans to hand over OBL and dismantle their terrorist camps. They refused to, many times. So we had to go there ourselves to find, kill OBL and his buddies. Now majority of AQ is killed or gone from Afghanistan, so we can leave too. When the enemy (Al Qaeda) doesn't exist, why sit around and waste our energies? If these Talibans had handed Al Qaeda's leadership to us, there may not be a 15 year old war!

I am not complaining. I'm laughing at the stupidity of some American actions. And the Taliban were NOT an exclusively Pakistani venture, the Saudis were well involved. The Americans knew what was happening, but didn't care. You guys just refuse to accept that your foreign policy is a mess, can you?

Just because we 'knew' doesn't mean it's in our strategic interest to act too. We didn't care what the Saudi's or you guys were supporting. I guess you should be thankful that Saudi supported this terrorist based culture and screwed your country over?
We got involved after we got attacked. Now, the criminals who attacked us, have been dispatched to hell through direct flights. Enemy killed, mission accomplished, great job done by the US military and now time to bring our boys and girls home!

 

[salarsikander]

"Clean up this mess again" ....we are talking about these Talibans.....not 4 decades ago Mujahedeen. These Talibans were supported by the PA. Forgot about the "strategic depth" supported by the Pak Army? Until these Taliban started to consider Pakistan their strategic depth, you guys erren't doing anything. The cleanup needed to start about a decade ago when we constantly asked you to do this operation by PA wouldn't. So why complain about whether we are there or not?

Hi,
How different are these Talibans from mujahideen? i wonder, is there some kind of special tag or something to distinguish?

The fact that you abandoned this region after Soviet invasion we had to chain em one way the other, and when you were back again after 9/11 we can see again history repeating itself. I hardly believe that you have actually dismantled their network and they still have capacity to carry out attacks like before but this time with far more strength.

Lets face it ! The great american super power cant rein in these bandits and this move is more of a facing save one

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Abou,

The thing with the U S is---that it never learns a lesson. It blundered at every step in afg----it bundered at every step in Iraq---.

Now I realize that these blunders were intentional---. What had happened in Iraq was done on purpose---.

If Iraq was a Christian nation like Germany or a perspective future Christian nation like china, Japan or no korea----then after the invasion game plan would have been totally different. The management after the war would have been very progressive---all the resources of the nation would be used to re-build the nation---massive Christian missionary wr would have been carried on.

The problem was no one anticipated that the AMERICAN POSTER JAIL GUARD LYNDI ENGLAND and her boy friend would cause such a major crisis in the forming of ISIS and few years down the road.

well they royally screwed up big time and cant blame Pakistan for their failures anymore

on Iraq - by disbanding Saddam's Army they created a pandoras box (full of worms too)

but then again wherever the Americans do go they tend to screw things up, I think the Latin Americans could attest to that......or Mexico - where US arms go to cartels