AFGHANISTAN - A LESSON 200 YEARS OLD

There seems to be general agreement that there is only a tiny number of AQ people in Afghanistan (maybe one hundred). This, I feel, indicates that there is not a great love/affiliation. The Taliban is really an amalgam of militants, adventurers, militia members under various strongmen, et al., who are not necessarily tied to the AQ. The Taliban realize that, should AQ be allowed to become operational in Afghanistan and it succeeds in a big attack on the USA, we will again move in and destroy both organizations. Why would the Taliban want this?

I take you word for the number of AQ in Afghanistan.

However, enough of the Taliban is aligned with AQ and other extremist groups as to make it no difference if there are not more AQ members in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the Taliban have been creating havoc in their own right with the help of those extremist groups or on their own in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. You continually act as though the Taliban are some innocent party and it is only if AQ gains strength in Afghanistan that we have to worry. AQ and other extremist groups are aligned with the Taliban in Pakistan, helping them to carry out attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.