The difference is that if Obama were meeting with them he would be negotiating for the Taliban- just as he did for the Iranians, the Cubans, etc.
yeah, about that... https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...ions-dollars-captain-iranian-ship/2234522001/ Experts say Iran’s ability to keep the Darya out of the U.S. government’s long reach illustrates the shortfalls of the U.S. strategy. And it comes as Iran leaders once again rejected negotiations with Washington, saying Trump must lift U.S. sanctions first. On Saturday, Iran further reduced its compliance with the nuclear deal, saying it has begun injecting uranium gas into advanced centrifuges and that the country will no longer abide by the deal's limits on its nuclear research and development. “The Iranians are not capitulating,” said Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, a foreign policy think tank in Washington. “They’re not saying ... ‘Please, Mr. Trump, can we have a meeting with you?’” Instead, Iran has launched its own aggressive strategy, downing an American drone, allegedly sabotaging other ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and using circuitous shipping routes and cloaked transponders to move its own oil.
Yes, all the countries that got give-away deals or no pushback on anything (trade, military, whatever) are having hissy fits and lashing out. You can avoid all that, as you know, just by giving them what they want. That's the Obama Doctrine. Obama helped build the entire Chinese economy and military and it was still not enough for them. Yup, you and those countries can't wait for a dem to be elected, so that the party for them will be back.
Meeting with the Taliban is never OK no matter who does it and under any circumstances. They are not a trade partner or military power to work with. They should not exist on this earth. The fact that you can justify Trump doing it and criticize Obama shows again the blind head you are willing to give Trump rather than call him out on his bullshit.
So then, withdrawing completely will help them to not exist on this earth, or instead you advocate being there for another twenty years because the last 18 have accomplished so much? And talking with them is not an option for you. Okay, so lay out your plan now that you have established that I am "blind."
In May 2014, the U.S. government secured the release of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five Taliban prisoners held in Guantanamo. His release led to attacks by Republican lawmakers, who claimed President Barack Obama had abandoned the decades-old U.S. policy of not negotiating with terrorists.[3]
To be frank, I'm a bit hazy on the Al-queda Taliban connection. My understanding is the Taliban are the ruling theocrats of Afghanistan and ended up becoming the defensive force of the US offensive. From recollection, they were the financiers of Al-queda and partook in "unconventional warfare" aka terrorism to fight the US forces? They're still a bunch of assholes akin to ISIS and needed removal.
Trump was attempting to negotiate with the Afghan President and the Taliban leadership. Not responding to extortion efforts by specific terrorists on the ground is/was the republican objection in the Bergdahl scenario. Obama botched the situation on many levels. He tried to pass it off as a prisoner swap rather than a negotiating with terrorist scenario- and that might have been some merit to that if he had done that properly rather than just giving the Taliban what they wanted- their Dream Team in return for some fucked-up traitor. It is relevant to note the even the independent inspector general for the defense department found that Obama was in violation because there was/is a specific statue on the books that says that the president MUST consult with Congress before trading or releasing any prisoners at GITMO. Barry of course just ignored that. He defended it by saying that Bird-dog was in IMMINENT DANGER of dying from his health issues. However, when Bird-dog arrived in Germany and had a full and complete physical it was determined that the only health problem he had was gingivitis- ie. gum disease. Yet he said that Bird-Dog's health was so critical that he did not have time to consult with Congress as the law required. Translation: No way Congress would have approved it. Trump is not being extorted and he is dealing with senior leadership who want to discuss policy. When it looked like they were using threats/killings to ramp up the process, Trump basically said. "No, I am not doing that shit. Meeting cancelled." Entirely proper. No equivalency with the Obama fiasco. Oh, and of course, the Dream Team has been back killing Americans for many years now. Lucky for them, they had Obama negotiating for them.