Back at the podium, White House press secretary Josh Earnest doubled-down and clarified Wednesday’s comments by deputy spokesman Eric Schultz that the Taliban is not a terrorist group, but rather an “armed insurgency.” Earnest told ABC’s Jon Karl that while the Taliban does engage in “tactics akin to terrorism,” they are not an official terrorist group. Earnest added though that the Taliban is a “very dangerous organization” during Thursday’s press briefing.
KARL: Yesterday it was said that the United States government, that the White House does not consider the Taliban to be a terrorist organization. I’m just wondering how that’s consistent with what I believe is the designation of what the Treasury Department has on its list of specially designated terrorist groups, which clearly lists the Taliban. So, does the administration consider the Taliban a terrorist organization or not?
EARNEST: Jon, the reason that the Taliban is listed on this description that you have put forward here is for two reasons: One is they do carry out tactics that are akin to terrorism. They do pursue terror attacks in an effort to try to advance their agenda and by designating them in the way that you have described does allow the United States to put in place some financial sanctions against the leaders of that organization in a way that’s been beneficial to our ongoing efforts against the Taliban.
What’s also true, Jon, is it is also important to draw a distinction between the Taliban and al Qaida. The Taliban has resorted to terror tactics, but those terror tactics have principally been focused on Afghanistan. Now, the reason we’re concerned about that is because there obviously are a significant numberof American personnel, including American military personnel, in Afghanistan that are in harms way. The Taliban is a very dangerous organization.
And what the president has pursued is a clear strategy for building up the central government in Afghanistan and the Afghan Security Forces so that they can be responsible for security in their own country and then take the fight to the Taliban. That, however, is different than the strategy that we have pursued against al Qaida — al Qaida is a terrorist organization that has aspirations that extend beyond just the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Al Qaida and their affiliates around the globe have sought to carry out terror attacks against Americans and American interests all around the globe, and that explains the difference in classification. But there is no doubts that both these organizations are dangerous and have drawn our attention. After all, there are a large number of Taliban fighters that have been taken off the battlefield thanks to U.S efforts and thanks to the courage and bravery of our servicemen and women.
KARL: So if I am hearing you correctly you are saying the Taliban engages in “tactics akin to terrorism,” but you don’t actually consider them a terrorist group…
EARNEST: They have a different classification. They have a classification that does allow us to pursue financial sanctions against them that have succeeded in limiting their capability that have been effective and —
KARL: But you don’t call them a terrorist group.
EARNEST: — and that is different than an organization like al Qaida that has much broader global aspirations to carry out acts of violence and acts of terror against Americans and American interests all around the globe.
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