WASHINGTON: The White House on Thursday declined to describe Afghanistan's Taliban as a terrorist group, prompting consternation from the right, which accused President Barack Obama's administration of being out of touch.
“They do carry out tactics that are akin to terrorism, they do pursue terror attacks in an effort to advance their agenda,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
“What's also true though is that it is important to draw a distinction between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda,” he said, pointing to a difference in designation.
Read: US may not target Mullah Omar after 2014
“The Taliban is a very dangerous organisation,” he added.
The Treasury Department has imposed anti-terror sanctions on around 2,000 Taliban fighters, leaders, supporters and financiers.
But the White House's distinction got short shrift from its political opponents, with Republicans sending footage of the comments to supporters.
“It slits throats, it attacks buses, it drives car bombs into markets and it's not a terrorist group. Look, you can't parody this administration,” said conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer.
Also read: US soldier released in exchange for five Taliban prisoners
Others said the White House's distinction was based more on politics than reality, pointing to the negotiated release of Taliban captive and US soldier Bowe Bergdahl.
The White House says it does not negotiate with terror groups.
Comments (70) Closed
now who is playing double game ?
@rana They are allowed to. They are the Super Power
If you can't beat them......join them !!!!!
when you trust far away country more than neighbors such thing will happen
Basically, the Taliban is a tool of US through which it controls Afpak. Afghanistan will continue to remain in turmoil, so will Pakistan. With Chinese investments coming into Afghanistan, the Taliban will remain a threat to both every one ensuring the whole region remains in a royal mess. Pakistani Generals are obviously under the control of US & will take US diktat. Now Afghan Taliban along with TTP will attack Pakistan as Pakistani army destroyed haqqani network and displaced millions in NWFP. IK was right. This is not Pakistan's war. It never was. Pakistan jumped into war, created terrorists to fight Russians as well as Indians in the name odd strategic depth and destroyed itself.
@rana who said it double game ? they play multiple game when Pakistan is trusting far away nation than its own neighbor India and Afghanistan
So now all TTP has to do is call itself TTA........and they can go on killing small children.........well done America.
Its their choice who to declare "good or bad terrorists".
Dah !!!!! Why did you attack Afghanistan then? God please do mercy on America .
Lol. USA, again need assistance of Al-Qeada in Ukraine, as they did in USSR, and after win, they will declare them TERRORISTS again, but this time opposite will happen, Al-Qaeda will fight from Russia side.They know better ,who is there friend.
This Taliban was the main reason after 9/11 Pakistan joined alliance with the US on the so called war on terror. Pakistan was free from terrorism before 9/11. Now Pakistan is suffering terrorist attacks. US can never be trusted as a friend to any Muslim Nation. US is the seed of terrorism across the world from Africa, Middle East to Asia. Yes thats right it breeds terrorism.
Wow, people don't even read the article before commenting.
US's official policy is "no negotiations with terrorists". But in past they have done prisoner's exchange with Taliban. This distinction helps them keep face and continue to say that they don't negotiate with terrorists.
"White House's distinction was based more on politics than reality, pointing to the negotiated release of Taliban captive and US soldier Bowe Bergdahl.
The White House says it does not negotiate with terror groups."
There are some back channel talks are going on between US and Afgan taliban. If we blindly follow these Americans and western nations they will always back stab us. They only know their interest and nothing else.
So they are again US new friends?
Good Taliban and Bad taliban is also America's version of thought imparted in Pakistani civilian and military leadership. When Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, America was helping good taliban against it along with Pakistan. Now American's having been failed to control Western part of South Asia which was aimed at thwarting Chinese rise, tries to somehow bridge the gap by not calling Taliban terrorists in an efforts to create peaceful environment for India. Big game.
Talk about double standards. US gains by keeping various areas in the globe in turmoil (for oil). And sell them more weapons. Multiple agenda.
Might is right, when their own entrust arrived they will do as the Romans do.
This kind of sums up the whole 'war on terror' farce and American foreign policy: Sheer barefaced hypocrisy.
When is Raheel Sharif taking over? I think this is a record for a PM to stay in office this long
@dwaraka nath And we are supposed to trust India? Seriously? Are you forgettig how India armed and trained the terrorists of Mukti Bahini? Strange memory loss?
Taliban outfit is the creation of American agencies and is one of the most lethal and productive (for America), Weapon of Mass Destruction. They can never declare their creation outlawed.
Its wierd how the US is changing its policies around the world especially with India, Cuba, Afghanistan etc!
Republican who always support them " " also having videos and fotage with president Reagon how could they describe this apporach by Democrates? first Republican clear them out from all kind of conspiracies then they could blame Democrates.
So now there are good and bad Talibans ........ ?! It was really hard for the Pakistani people to come to one point of view that there are no good and bad ones .. only "BAD" ones !! ... now we would have adjust our opinions again? daah ;-)
Us has attained it's goals of attacking Afg. Now it damn cares who is who and what is what. Let the fighting parties to settle between them.
@dwaraka nath Same goes for India
@Sunil What about Pakistan? do you approve Pakistan's choices? have read you crying many times over Pakistan's ALLEGED choices. Also What about India's approach towards good and bad!!
Always puppets will suffer.
Democrat Party making sure that It don't return to power in next election.
sane voices have been saying it time and again that USA will leave Afghanistan leaving us to deal with the mess. The whole war started after 9/11 in Afghanistan, it spilled in to Pakistan due to their wrong policies. but now Afghan Taliban are not terrorists leaving us to deal with the TTP. What a game
"The White House on Thursday declined to describe Afghanistan's Taliban as a terrorist group, prompting consternation from the right, which accused President Barack Obama's administration of being out of touch"
By this the White House has accepted Afghan Talibans as freedom fighters. It is a victory for Afghan taliban
@Sunil, And it is their choice who to fight with China.
Biggest hypocrites in the world
Might is right ........ Taliban are good people now for USA
This happens, when Obamas of this world go touring Sub-continent. They become a bit confused and start speaking like political leaders in India and Pakistan: may be Terrorist / may be not, ready for dialogs / unavailable for dialogs, etc., etc. VERY FUNNY.
“What's also true though is that it is important to draw a distinction between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda,” he said, pointing to a difference in designation.
The irony, when Pakistan said the same just after 9/11 we were told to be either with them or against them. Ever since, the american have learned the hard way, and in the process, Pakistan lost 50000 lives.
@Indian You don't have to worry and as said many time before to Indians take care of your country.
I am just here to read Indian comments after this new. Dear Indian will you bash US in same way the way you do to us?
@Sunil Thanks sunil now its our choice to declare Hafiz Saeed bad or good.
Pakistan should protest to the U.N by writing a letter, and reject all American Aid.
This is a slap on musharraf and all so called paki modernists
If that was the definition, then Pakistan should be declared a terrorist country.
You attacked Iraq in pursuit of chemical weapons and after rampaging that countries you realized there was no chemical weapons. You attacked afghanon the pretext that Taliban are terrorists. Now after destroying that country you came to know that Taliban are not terrorists. Whose turn is it now. Just declare any country of your choice terrorist and the world community will nof their heads like donkeys. There is no moral values left in the world.Might is rigjt.If you are the superpower you can kill innocent. Nobody dares to ask you.
@dwaraka nath - True to a certain extent. However, if the neighbor is not trustworthy then you have to make some choices and sometimes those choices could be bad.
@akhthar For every problems of Pakistan, love to point fingers at India, still no clue behind. Stop blaming US now and other foreign agents, try standing on your own feet.
@Mohammed: And do you forget what made the Mukti Bahini to rise? Long Term Memory Loss in your case??
Is US a superpower or super-bigot
For knowing the real background of Taliban, just google "Abdullah Mehsud" and see Do you need any further proof?
@Indian Raheel has taken over only fools cannot see it.
In the West, the Afghan Taliban are beginning to look almost civilised, when compared to ISIS.
Or the TTP, for that matter.
@Imran;
"When Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, America was helping good taliban against it along with Pakistan."
Don't get confused, the order of events is very important. The word "Taliban" wasn't heard till the Soviet Union was abolished and General Zia was dead.
USA do more.
and now it is the turn of US Good and bad talibans...shame
Now who is making a distinction between good & bad Taliban? its a lesson for all Pakistani's who have a Utopian outlook to International affairs. Countries follow their national interests not moral conscious. Moral conscious only gets evoke when it servers national interests, besides that moral conscious has no role to play what so ever in world affairs. Like it or hate it, that's the reality of the world today and how countries conduct themselves in international affairs.
There are no permanent enemies or friends in geopolitics. In their next statement the Americans will recognize Taliban as legitimate contestants in Afghanistan elections. They should know? they have effectively been beaten and humiliated there. That leave Pakistan holding the baby because of its lack of vision and a failed government consisting of uneducated, unrefined parliamentarians and rudderless leadership who don't have a clue about statecraft and couldn't run a small company let alone a country of 200 million. The entire core of government consists of a single family with five brothers/cousins holding key positions. What else can we expect but more self inflicted grief.
USA understands the position of pak now well they ain't got no choice + they are mature enough to understand what they can and can't do.
@arslan Pakistan did make a choice initially, but retracted, stating it was out of context.
When you are thousands of miles away you can call them butterflies, but those who live with and around them cannot afford this denial. Hope we have learnt our lesson of last 15 years.
@Kamal Pasha No one is going to fight with China, only threat looms, between with neighbors, and US ready to stand by with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines.
It's not too long we will see delegation of taliban visiting a president in the White House just like they did when Ronald Reagan was president. Similarly Pakistan government needs to keep good and close relationship with these people.
White House is not under any pressure nor does it have any agreement to call any one anything. There is no double game, this is called diplomacy.
Hegemony!!!
It is all down to creating the long term goal of having partners that will allow USA to exploit Afghanistan's mineral wealth. It is as simple as that.
What a serious joke?
@akhthar really that simple...wow
@dwaraka nath America is every countries neighbor
Why would they call them terrorists when they are serving them and are their mercenaries in this region to tackle China, Ira and Russia after dealing and destroying Pakistan and Afghanistan. Eventually actual association is coming on surface.
This what happens when you keep on electing the same corrupt incompetent leaders again and again
US is the King of the jungle. It can lay eggs or littes as it pleases. Yesterday Taliban were terrorists, then they were not, then again they were branded terrorists and again they are not. We will look towards the US to see what they will be called next. Since the boss is always right, so is the GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. So dear Uncle Sam, we will call them next whatever that you decide to call them.
US policy is UNBELIEVABLE! it is full of twists