White House: Taliban not terrorists

[Clocker]

White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz, filing in today for Baghdad Josh, shows he is just as talented at twisting language and logic.

Schultz stated that it was okay for the US to trade prisoners for Bowe Bergdahl because our policy is to not deal with terrorists, and the Taliban are not terrorists. They are "armed insurgents".

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/01/28/white-house-taliban-an-armed-insurgency-so-admin-didnt-make-concessions-to-terrorist-groups/

Former UN Ambassador John Bolton today said that this probably reflects an administration assumption that the Taliban will eventually regain control of Afghanistan, and that the US will need to deal with them at that point.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Well someone is following the BBC anyway.

[Clocker]

Words have consequences. You can really hurt peoples feelings calling them terrorists.

Good thing the White House didn't call them "Islamic armed insurgents.”

[mostpost]

The Taliban are terrorists, but they are or were also a government and an armed insurgency. Bowe Bergdahl was a prisoner of war, at least nominally. He was exchanged for Taliban prisoners who had been captured in Afghanistan during or as a result of the fighting there.

Prisoner of war swaps are common in war situations.

[Clocker]

The Taliban are terrorists, but they are or were also a government



The Taliban was a government when the swap took place?

Prisoner of war swaps are common in war situations.

Yes, when governments of sovereign nations exchange captured members of the military of those nations.

[Tom]

Obama's agenda to aid all of America's enemies is showing.

[Clocker]

Obama's agenda to aid all of America's enemies is showing.

Obama knows that under his policies of not offending anyone and his willingness to "negotiate" anything with any government, that area will eventually be controlled by Iran and the Taliban. The ultimate goal is a grand bargain with the new masters, with Obama as the shining hero who has finally brought peace to the region.

Don't you love it when a plan comes together? :p

[horses4courses]

Yeah, it's a real pisser when not everywhere
will buy into Walmart and the golden arches.

[boxcar]

Yeah, it's a real pisser when not everywhere
will buy into Walmart and the golden arches.

Yeah, and I bet you think the Taliban are freedom fighters, too, eh?

[horses4courses]

Yeah, and I bet you think the Taliban are freedom fighters, too, eh?

Umm....no.

[Tom]

Call them armed insurgents.
Anyone know of any unarmed insurgents?

January 13, 2015.
John Kerry called the Taliban terrorist.

And, it is pronounced Tal I ban, not Tal Y Ban.

He let terrorists go, mopo - no denying that.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Yeah, it's a real pisser when not everywhere
will buy into Walmart and the golden arches.

Is the implication here that if we'd just stop forcing western culture upon them then they'd be content and we'd know nothing of them? I can't tell what this is supposed to mean in the context.

[Clocker]

White House press secretary Josh Ernest returned to the podium today to clarify why the Taliban are not terrorists.

"They do carry out tactics that are akin to terrorism," Earnest said of the Taliban. "They do pursue terror attacks in an effort to try to advance their agenda."

But, he explained, the Taliban limits their tactics "that are akin to terrorism" to Afghanistan, which is...
...different than an organization like Al Qaida 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.

Ah, it all makes sense now.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-01-29/why-the-white-house-is-insisting-the-taliban-isn-t-a-terrorist-group

[horses4courses]

Is the implication here that if we'd just stop forcing western culture upon them then they'd be content and we'd know nothing of them? I can't tell what this is supposed to mean in the context.

I know we weren't directly trying "westernize" the Afghans.
However, the ultimate objective for the US is to spread democracy.
I don't think that is a bad thing, provided it can be done peacefully.
That was never going to happen in that part of the world.

It was pretty obvious early on that Afghanistan was a "no win" situation.
Russia was there a long time before backing out.
Apart from the search for Bin Laden, there was little point in being there.

[johnhannibalsmith]

I know we weren't directly trying "westernize" the Afghans.
However, the ultimate objective for the US is to spread democracy.
I don't think that is a bad thing, provided it can be done peacefully.
That was never going to happen in that part of the world.

It was pretty obvious early on that Afghanistan was a "no win" situation.
Russia was there a long time before backing out.
Apart from the search for Bin Laden, there was little point in being there.

That really doesn't explain the comment at all as far as I can tell other than to dismiss my inference and offer no alternative. I don't really think McDonalds and Walmart are icons of democracy, so... well... I'll just assume there was no point.

[dartman51]

Call them armed insurgents.
Anyone know of any unarmed insurgents?

January 13, 2015.
John Kerry called the Taliban terrorist.

And, it is pronounced Tal I ban, not Tal Y Ban.

He let terrorists go, mopo - no denying that.


Yes, but they are more commonly known as "illegal immigrants." :rolleyes: Although, some of them are also armed.

[Tom]

One of the 5 terrorists released by Obama in trade for Bergdahl has already tried to make contact with the Tally-Bon. Supposedly, under the watch of Qatar, THEY did not report it. So, if that Cinna-Bon, er, Tally bon, are NOT terrorsits, why do we care?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/29/official-gitmo-prisoner-traded-for-bergdahl-reaching-out-to-taliban/


Face it, Obama and his administration are totally over their heads - not a one of them has a clue.

[Clocker]

One of the 5 terrorists released by Obama in trade for Bergdahl has already tried to make contact with the Tally-Bon.

One that they know of. I don't suppose any of these Taliban senior executives are tele-commuting, are they? Do they have ISPs in Qatar?

[fast4522]

One of the 5 terrorists released by Obama in trade for Bergdahl has already tried to make contact with the Tally-Bon. Supposedly, under the watch of Qatar, THEY did not report it. So, if that Cinna-Bon, er, Tally bon, are NOT terrorsits, why do we care?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/29/official-gitmo-prisoner-traded-for-bergdahl-reaching-out-to-taliban/


Face it, Obama and his administration are totally over their heads - not a one of them has a clue.

Tom, like I told Reckless in a different thread, we differ in ideas but we at least have them. Here I say that he is not over his head. He has always leaned that way, in his book he said he would side with Arab when it was his choice.

[Tom]

www. iambaaaaack. isis

[Clocker]

www. iambaaaaack. isis

www. notislamic. jv

[davew]

Call them armed insurgents.
Anyone know of any unarmed insurgents?



For the most part, the protests we have been seeing in this country against police departments are by unarmed insurgents.

[Tom]

I think there is a difference between a protester and an insurgent.

[dartman51]

I think there is a difference between a protester and an insurgent.

See post #16. :)

[horses4courses]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B9Elb7TCIAAG6GV.jpg:medium

[Clocker]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B9Elb7TCIAAG6GV.jpg:medium

Wow, somebody has a Way-Back Machine!!! Reagan met with the Taliban in 1985, and the Taliban came into existence in 1991! Amazing.

[Tom]

Second guy on the left is Brian Williams. :D
Guess who told more lies than he has?
This week.

[Clocker]

Guess who told more lies than he has?
This week.

I want to buy a vowel. Is there an "O"?

[Tom]

No O, but there is a 4.

[davew]

Wow, somebody has a Way-Back Machine!!! Reagan met with the Taliban in 1985, and the Taliban came into existence in 1991! Amazing.


When dealing with Democratic propaganda machine, anything is possible.

[Ocala Mike]

OK, I'll play even though nobody asked.

The meeting was with what were then known as Mujahaddin, precursors to the Taliban, so the title of the picture presupposes a knowledge and acceptance ot that fact.

The bottom line is that when a group is an enemy of your enemy, they are, of course, your friends. Reagan beatified these guys as "freedom fighters" and started the US on the path to fathering the Taliban and everything that followed.

But you all know that, however inconvenient it is to swallow.

[Saratoga_Mike]

The first secret aid was supplied to the Mujahideen by Jimmy Carter in 1979, according to his own national security advisor.

[Clocker]

The bottom line is that when a group is an enemy of your enemy, they are, of course, your friends. Reagan beatified these guys as "freedom fighters" and started the US on the path to fathering the Taliban and everything that followed.


The US supported the mujahideen, a groups of war lords joined together to fight the Russians, with aid and arms. After Russia left, the US dropped any aid to Afghanistan and any interest in the country, and the mujahideen resumed their civil war against each other for control of the country. Pakistan propped up the group that eventually became the Taliban.

Reagan did make that comment about founding fathers, but he was talking about the rebels in Nicaragua.

[Saratoga_Mike]

Reagan did make that comment about founding fathers, but he was talking about the rebels in Nicaragua.

I thought this, too, so I looked it up. He actually referred to both groups as freedom fighters - good memory Ocala Mike.

[JustRalph]

I thought this, too, so I looked it up. He actually referred to both groups as freedom fighters - good memory Ocala Mike.

I bet there are fifty more groups like this around the world that were on our side until we turned the money off.

[Saratoga_Mike]

I bet there are fifty more groups like this around the world that were on our side until we turned the money off.

Probably so - that's why James Monroe and his doctrine got it right.

[Tom]

The communists were freedom fighters against the Czar at one time.
Trying to make any comparison to the Taliban of today to events back then is ridiculous. USSR was the only Evil empire of the times.

Don't let H4C get into your heads - he will rot your brains.