Al Qaeda was both sheltered by the Taliban government of Afghanistan and acted as the regime's enforcers.
The Taliban refused to turn over bin Laden to us after 9/11, defending al Qaeda even after 9/11.
We invaded Afghanistan and targetted the Taliban regime, overthrowing it, as we went after al Qaeda.
And now, this is what some people are thinking as the administration thinks about our strategy:
U.S. national security adviser James Jones said last weekend that the al-Qaida presence has diminished and he did not "foresee the return of the Taliban" to power.
He said that according to the maximum estimate, al-Qaida has fewer than 100 fighters operating in Afghanistan without any bases or ability to launch attacks on the West.
"If the Taliban did return to power, I believe we are strong enough to deter them from attacking us again by strong and credible punishment and by containing them with regional allies like India, China and Russia," said former State Department official Leslie Gelb.
I sure hope that Gelb is not influential. On what planet do you have to live to think that we could deter the Taliban from supporting al Qaeda if the Taliban returned to power?
UPDATE: Oh good God, help us. Gelb is associated with Vice President Biden's strategic genius.
