Taliban Not Terrorists?

Here’s a news flash for Americans: Remember that country we invaded right after 9/11? You know: The one that actually had a connection to terrorists. It turns out that the Bush Administration now says that the Taliban are not terrorists.

Sure, the Taliban may be attacking U.S., Canadian, and British forces, but they still don’t count as terrorists … according to President Bush.

As the Christian Science Monitor reports: “When the US State Department issued its annual Country Reports on Terrorism …, it listed numerous state-sponsors of terrorism, like Iran, and groups it considers foreign terrorist organizations, like Hamas, Al Qaeda, and Hizbullah. Conspiciously absent from the lists, however, was the Taliban.

In an article entitled ‘Terrorism’s Dubious ‘A’ List,’ the non-partisan Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) reports that the religious extremist organization has never been listed as a terrorist group … despite the fact that during its six year rule in Afghanistan, it provided safe haven for Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and currently is staging terrorist attacks against coalition forces and waging a national campaign of intimidation and fear.

… the CFR article points out that many others, like Amin Tarzi, the Afghanistan analyst for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, say that if the activities that the Taliban are carrying out were happening in any other country, they would be called terrorism.

He says a political motive is behind this double standard. In order to gain a broad base of support, Afghan President Karzai has reached out to Pashtuns, many of whom were members of the Taliban. ‘You can’t call them ‘terrorists’ and at the same time reconcile with them,’ Tarzi says.”

Imagine our shock to learn that George Bush and his allies are playing games with terrorism - to their political advantage!