Shibboleths of the Afghanistan Debate

Lisa Curtis / October 09, 2009

Recent statements coming from the White House making distinctions between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and implying that the Taliban is somehow less inimical to U.S. interests are incongruous with developments on the ground, including a major suicide bombing in front of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Thursday morning and another major bombing that killed at least 49 on the other side of the border in Peshawar, Pakistan. The back-to-back blasts straddling the border underscore the instability in the region and the need for President Obama to demonstrate decisiveness with his strategy for Afghanistan.

If President Obama is seeking to better understand the relationship between al-Qaeda and the Taliban, he should listen to Bruce Riedel, an advisor who helped lay the foundations for his strategy toward the region earlier this year. In an October 8 interview on the dangers (more…)