When it comes to relations between the US and the Taliban, it's always been a series of flip, flop, flipping friends and foes game. Despite obvious Taliban atrocities against the Afghanistan people, especially the women, Texan oil men (with the backing of the American government) were wineing and dining the Taliban in Sugarland Texas in 1997. The Texan oil men (including Enron) were hoping to gain the approval from the Taliban for a pipeline to be built across Afghanistan.(Trans-Afghan Pipeline)
(Taliban are FRIENDS):
Taliban in Texas for talks on gas pipeline - (Dec 4, 1997)
9/11 came along and all fingers pointed to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as the financier and planer of the attacks. Supposedly he was being harbored by the Taliban, a fundamentalist Islamic group. Despite the fact the Taliban requested evidence against OBL and offered to hand OLB over to a neutral country, Bush decided instead to immediately wage a bloody war against all Afghanistan people. Al-Qaeda, foot loose and fancy free, ran to the hills and beyond. To the Americans, al-Qaeda became out of sight, out of mind. Osama bin Laden who?
(Taliban are foes)
Despite no evidence that the Taliban played a part in 9/11, the American military focus then became the Taliban. Early 2002 we started hearing how peachy keen things were going with the war.
Bush: “Our first objective in the first theater against the war against terror has been achieved: The Taliban are out of business.” [2/4/02]
(No more Taliban!)
Bush took his eye off the ball - (Jun 30, 2005)
(Taliban are friends AND foes)
But the Taliban never disappeared. They opened offices in Kabul and started secretly meeting with American intelligence. Nevertheless the American public cheered whenever Taliban forces were killed or captured.
Taliban in secret talks with US, Afghanistan - (June 19, 2009)
(Karzai: "I want to be your friend")
After puppet President Karzai's corrupt election he nevertheless offers the Taliban a place in his corrupt government.
Karzai: I can work with Taliban for peace - (Dec 3, 2009)
Karzai continues to push for peace talks - (Feb 2, 2010)
(Taliban: "I want to be your friend")
On Dec 2009 the Taliban offered to give "legal guarantees" that they will not allow Afghanistan to be used for attacks on other countries. The US refused this offer. Instead the Obama Administration decides to send thousands more American troops to Afghanistan to wage a military surge.
US silent on Taliban's al-Qaeda offer - (Dec 17, 2009)
(Friends AND foe)
Are coalition, NATO, American troops being sent to kill and be killed by "enemies" supported by "international donors", primarily the United States? Is the US to a large extent financing their own enemy?“Everyone knows this is going on,” said one U.S. Embassy official, speaking privately.
Who is funding the Afghan Taliban? You don't want to know - (Aug 13, 2009)
(Friend OR foe?)
The Afghan authorities confirmed on Tuesday reports that the Taliban’s second-in-command, Mullah Baradar, has been arrested in Pakistan. But while the West considers the capture of such a ‘big fish’ a strategic victory, our correspondent points out that he was also the key to a possible diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Mullah Baradar: friend or foe? - (Feb 16, 2010)
General information of the Taliban, Friend or foe:
Taliban history/timeline/Afghanistan
Taliban's website - Voice of Jihad
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