Frank Rich Warning On Afghan War: Don't Conflate The Taliban And Al Qaida (VIDEO)

Rachel Maddow interviewed New York Times columnist Frank Rich last night about the Afghanistan war and the upcoming decision that President Obama must make on whether to send as many as 40,000 more troops to that country. Rich is skeptical about the conventional wisdom that if we withdraw we basically hand al-Qaida a victory.

Reacting to a posting on the Taliban's website saying they don't want to attack America or countries in Europe, clashing with the most recent screed from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Rich said the post serves as a reminder that we shouldn't be so quick to conflate the Taliban and al-Qaida:

One thing that that illustrates is al-Qaida and the Taliban can't be so easily conflated. And whether they're being disingenuous in those statements or not, the fact is the Taliban is a local phenomenon in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and al-Qaida and terrorist organizations like it are international. The tail doesn't necessarily wag the dog, which is one reason why this talk that if the Taliban, we prevent the Taliban from taking over in Afghanistan we therefore we vanquish al-Qaida is not right. They'll just pop up somewhere else.

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Comments

[davidallan]

If we win in Afghanistan, however we define victory, Al-Qaeda will move to Somalia, Sudan, Chad or any number of African nations where law and order is sparse. Are we then going to fight wars in all these countries?

[Roxanna]

We create enemies everyday in order to continue the outraggeous profits from War Making, which will inevitably sink our nation!

Do you think Americans will come to a place where they are sick of waring?

[dadw5boys]

Here is proof.

http://www.dailymotion.com/corbettreport/video/x7zs6x_al-qaeda-doesnt-exist-documentary-2_news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjE2wMWMJwI&feature=player_embedded#

[Hamneggz]

I think it's safe to assume the Taliban are opposed to the US which has killed a bunch of them and knocked them out of power. I think it's safe to assume that the Taliban are vicious brutes by modern standards. I think that there are more than a hundred Taliban in Afghanistan - no has any idea how many there are. There are certainly more just over the border in Pakistan. In any event a hundred determined Al-Queda are a lot of terrorists. The Taliban left unmolested might, it's even likely, that there would be Al-Queda bases in Afghanistan. If training bases are put into Afghanistan more Al-Queda will show up. A lot of people forget that before the WTC Al-Queda bombed two embassies and and attacked a missile cruiser from Afghan bases. The problem is real. But I wonder what would happen if they took all the money they are spending on the military presence and used to build roads, plumbing and schools. It might not work, but the military presence does not really seem like it's going to work either, and at least they would have the roads.

[dadw5boys]

Here you go. CIA agents tell the realy story ,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjE2wMWMJwI&feature=player_embedded#

[northstar11]

dont conflate the taliban with the taliban either ----they are not a single amorphous united group --but many with different leaders and agendas

[sense oar sheep]

noteworthy point

don't underestimate what taliban groups have in common; ethnicity, language, political beliefs, philosophical beliefs, and kinship

[dadw5boys]

from what these CIA agents say the Taliban would cut poppy produtcion too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjE2wMWMJwI&feature=player_embedded#

[Guytar]

Last I heard in 2009, Afghanistan is still a very poor third world country.

No real central government. No army. No air force. No navy. No oil.

Why are young occupation soldiers still dying in Afghanistan.

[northstar11]

it might be the last remaining country without permanent US military bases

[dadw5boys]

AN IRON CURTAIN OF U.S. BASES AROUND THE WORLD !

[StJames]

We need to get out of the middle east period. In a related article the Israeli Foreign Minister has stated there is little chance of a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. He can make such a provocative statement because he thinks Americans will have infinite patience with the posturing of Israel. Sooner or later Americans, even American Jews, will wake up to the fact that we are being held hostage by a foreign nation that has little interest is pursuing peace with it's neighbors. We will start demanding that Israel, as well as the Palestinians, show good faith and live up to agreements they made years ago, that includes stopping the settlements on the West Bank.

[jennylynn]

BO said he was bringing them home.

[Guytar]

Jennylynn is telling porkie pies about what Obama said about Afghanistan.

[dadw5boys]

But where will Israel sell all the weapons it makes ???

If the battles end in the Middle east where will they sell weapons ASIA ?

They already busted a ship load of Israeli Machine Guns in the Philipines.

[StJames]

Oy! I've always wanted an Uzi myself. :)

So peace wrecks the Israeli economy? They really our offspring aren't they?

[oicnow]

Here is a modest proposal on the mess in Afghanistan. Bring all troops home -- our visible presence only angers the muslim world and really does little or nothing to find Al Qaeda. Put a few hundred covert CIA agents in the region of Pakistan to find Al Qaeda members and arrest or kill them. That would save billions of dollars, hundreds of lives, and maybe even accomplish our original mission.

[jennylynn]

Didn't BO say he would bring them home?

[oicnow]

I think that was the other quagmire (Iraq).

[DevonTexas]

How conflated do they have to become to justify the deaths of American soldiers? Seems to me AQ and Taliban already are as conflated as they can get and nothing we do will change that.

[omobob]

No love loss between the Taliban and Al-Qeada. Al-Qeada brought down the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Al-Qeada lost Iraq to the west. The only ones who think that Al-Qeada remains a potent force are the US generals and media. Al--Qeada is over rated. Does anyone believe the Taliban is a danger to America? As long as US soldiers remain in Afghanistan, they will be targets.

[sposton]

We make our own enemies because how else would be justify the current military-industrial complex?

[Guytar]

US generals like Petraeus and McChrystal know very well that Al Quaeda were kicked out of Iraq long ago. Iraq is now completely dominated by the Shiite majority. Al Quaeda briefly joined forces with Sunni resistance in Iraq, but that alliance failed very quickly.

In Afghanistan, Taliban is NOT Al Quaeda. The US generals still keep saying it is. Military resistance by the Taliban and independent regional warlords has nothing to do with Al Quaeda. Pakistan is a much more serious problem there.

[Guytar]

Bin Laden and Al Quaeda left Afghanistan years ago.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration concealed this strategic information.

[dadw5boys]

$$$$$$$$$$­$$$$$$$$$$­$$$$

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjE2wMWMJwI&feature=player_embedded#

[holeybuybull]

The Charlie Wilson has stated that the US should leave Afghanistan. Yes, that Charlie Wilson!!

[mystic]

The fact is we went to Afghanistan because AQ attacked the US on 9/11 but it is no longer there but dispersed around the world. So unless Obama declares war on every country around the world just to be sure, he really doesn't have a reason to be in Afghanistan other than making trouble and making money for the military industrial complex. His willingness to send Americans to their deaths for an unwinnable war with goals that change like a weather vane and which is undeclared by Congress is unconstitutional.

Obama thinks he is Alexander the Great just because the letter "a" also appears in his name.

When Bush was GOVERNOR, he told a journalist that if he ever is president one day he would invade Iraq because "only presidents with wars have great legacies". This was long before 9/11, which Bush twisted to rationalise invading it after the "convenience" of 9/11. Obama has emulated all the Bush thinking and policies.

[dadw5boys]

nahhhh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjE2wMWMJwI&feature=player_embedded#

[dadw5boys]

No President Obama knows he has to clean up these Ilegal Action of BUSHCO WITHOUT RIPPING THE USA APART !!!!!

[Humanistic]

Maybe Pres. Obama knows that if he stops military action, he'll be risking his own life, like JFK who wanted to withdraw from Vietnam.

[ghostclown]

"They'll just pop up somewhere else."

And how can a "journalist" like yourself discourage them from "popping up", Mr. Rich.

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/the-rest-is-silence/

[dadw5boys]

THANKS FOR THE SITE !!!!!

[dadw5boys]

So this makes Bushco GUITY OF MURDER, TREASON, SEDITION AND ILLEGAL INVASIONS OF SOVERGIEN NATIONS.

[A Meat Beetle]

AQ and the Taliban do have one thing in common: Both came about as a direct result of US foreign policy during Nancy Reagan's presidency.

[Liberal2]

No, not a "direct result." They filled the vacuum left after, first, the Soviets destroyed the existing government and, second, we destroyed the Soviet installed regime but didn't assist in rebuilding the old government.

If you want to say something, at least get your "facts" right.

[A Meat Beetle]

Check out the BBC documentary "The Power Of Nightmares" and get back to me. The vacuum of which you speak was just as much a result of the US abandoning Afghanistan after the Soviets were defeated.

[dadw5boys]

How about the facts --- the USA created AQ

http://www.dailymotion.com/corbettreport/video/x7zs6x_al-qaeda-doesnt-exist-documentary-2_news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjE2wMWMJwI&feature=player_embedded#

[imusintheevening]

The Taliban is really no different than much of the religious right in the US and that apparently includes Justice Scalia.

[dadw5boys]

you got it