By Guest Column Diana West——Bio and Archives--June 24, 2009
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Neither the Bush nor Obama administrations has articulated the reasons for failing to designate the Taliban as an FTO, and congressional overseers haven’t publicly asked them why. The most reasonable assumption is that administration officials were hopeful that nonlisting would eventually facilitate rapprochement with “reconcilable” Taliban elements. To date, the facts prove this option illusory. A much better case could be made for placing the group on the list and afterward using delisting the group, or elements of it, as an inducement to give up the fight. Leaving the Taliban off the State Department’s terror list diminishes the report’s value, undermines the department’s credibility and could further threaten U.S. national security. Let’s hope Clinton reverses course soon - for the sake of American troops, U.S. embassy personnel and others who are risking their lives daily in and around Afghanistan in defense of the United States.Folks, how about asking your friendly US congressman to DO SOMETHING about this? Diana West writes a weekly commentary column for the Washington Times, Townhall.com and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. A conservative with a strong bent for cultural commentary, West explores topics few writers touch upon - from whether Islam is really a religion of peace, to whether Howard Dean was as good a governor as his campaign claims he was, to society’s bizarre efforts to protect children from Mother’s Day, to the rise of “PC” summer camps in Vermont - presenting all in a deft, often humorous manner. West has contributed essays and features to many publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, Commentary, The New Criterion, The Public Interest and The Women’s Quarterly. She has also written fiction for The Atlantic Monthly and has been a columnist for Scripps Howard News Service.
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