US feels Taliban poses lesser threat than al-Qaeda

Press Trust of India ^ | 9 Oct 2009, 02:0 HRS IST | no byline

[a fool in paradise]

United States feels that Taliban poses a lesser threat to American security than al-Qaeda, the White House said here today, as media reported that the Obama administration has concluded that Taliban cannot be eliminated in Afghanistan.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs sought to make a clear differentiation between Taliban and al-Qaeda as he said al-Qaeda was an "entity that, through a global jihadist network would seek to strike the US homeland".

"I think the Taliban are, obviously, exceedingly bad people that have done awful things," Gibbs said. "Their capability is somewhat different, though, on that continuum of transnational threats," he added.

Gibbs remarks comes as Obama is intensely engaged in a intense Afghan policy review and raise speculations that the US President might not opt for increasing US troops in the war-torn country.

[benjibrowder]

I’ve felt that the Taliban and Al Qaida became one entity long ago and that to refer to one is an inherent referral to the other. Can the Administration not see that?

[RC2]

I can understand their opinions. When is Gibs and Obama going to Afghanistan to have lunch with them? I think the American people would pay to send them there.

[popdonnelly]

That overlooks the fact that the Taliban and Al Qaeda are allies.

[Texan Tory]

“United States feels that Taliban poses a lesser threat to American security than al-Qaeda, the White House said here today”

In a similar development, Winston Churchill announces on February 15, 1942 that Imperial Japan, although it has just taken Singapore, still poses a lesser threat to British security than Nazi Germany.

[stockpirate]

So, al-Qaeda changes it’s name to Taliban and we will leave them alone.

[SampleMan]

This isn't such a strange idea. Don't you all remember your history, when FDR declared that we weren't at war with the SS, just the NAZI party... no wait, I think the space time equilibrium has been torn apart. Let me check a newspaper....

Crap, Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize???? There has been an uncorrectable rift in time.

[Canedawg]

So, al-Qaeda changes it’s name to Taliban and we will leave them alone.
**********

And what name will ACORN change to so we leave them alone?

Because after all, what’s in a name?

[garbanzo]

Can the Administration not see that?

Of course they can. They just want to sell retreat as advancing in a different direction.

[luvie]

US feels Taliban poses lesser threat than al-Qaeda

Excuse me??? Ask all those Afghani women who will again be treated as bad as slaves if the Taliban is allowed to take over again! God help them!

[dr_who]

Obama wants out of Afganistan real bad so he can focus on turning us into Norway.

[a fool in paradise]

As someone indicated on one of the Nobel threads, “Norwegian wood” won this for the man.

[a fool in paradise]

March of 2001, the Taliban blew up ancient Buddhist statues.

They offended Mohammed/Allah and had to be wiped from the historical record.

[r9etb]

In a similar development, Winston Churchill announces on February 15, 1942 that Imperial Japan, although it has just taken Singapore, still poses a lesser threat to British security than Nazi Germany.

Uh ... You do know that that was actually Churchill's take on the matter, don't you?

[4yearlurker]

I wonder if the families of those recently KIA by the Taliban agree with this? Barry Hussein is going to cut and run in Afghanistan.

[a fool in paradise]

Yes, it sounds like (from other reports I’ve heard from Gibbs) that some control will be handed over to the Taliban.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

I think he’s refering to the threat they pose to the US, rather than hapless Afghani natives....

[Texan Tory]

In a similar development, Winston Churchill announces on February 15, 1942 that Imperial Japan, although it has just taken Singapore, still poses a lesser threat to British security than Nazi Germany.

"Uh ... You do know that that was actually Churchill's take on the matter, don't you?"

Yes, that's why I chose that example. The administration says that the Taliban is less a threat than Al Queda, as though the Taliban is hardly a threat at all. Japan, although recognized by Churchill as a lesser threat than the Nazis, quickly demonstrated that it was still a hell of a big threat. Churchill wanted the U.S. to commit the brunt of its force to help defeat the Nazis, as they were an imminent mortal threat to Great Britain.

[r9etb]

Ah. OK, good ... I'm relieved.

The Taliban, however, are the ones who actually caused us to get into this war in the first place, by providing aid and support to Al Qaeda.

To now pretend that they're separable is like suggesting that the Wermacht posed a lesser threat than the Nazi Party.

[stockpirate]

ACORN has already changed it’s name.