Defeating the Taliban

On June 17, Imran Khan, a member of the Pakistani parliament and the chairman of the Movement for Justice Party, discussed the evolution of the Taliban in Pakistan and the role the Pakistani government plays in the Taliban’s development with Patrick Doherty, co-director of the New America Foundation’s Counterterrorism Strategy Initiative.

Khan began by noting the important distinction between the Taliban of young, non-militant students enrolled in madrassas, and the militant Taliban in Swat. He explained that, contrary to Western perceptions, the Taliban is not an ideological movement but rather one that gained popularity because of its commitment to the rule of law.

Khan harshly criticized the Pakistani army for the manner in which it has dealt with the Taliban in Swat, claiming that “every military operation has increased militancy in Pakistan” and driven more people to extremism. Khan argued that the military must isolate the real terrorists--the radical Taliban leadership and Al-Qaeda--rather than undertaking military endeavors for which Pakistan does not have the civil infrastructure. He explained that the number one danger is not the Taliban, but anarchy, radicalization, and financial collapse.

- -Event summary by Caroline Esser, Intern, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation

Participants

featured speaker
Imran Khan
Member of Parliament, Pakistan
Chairman, Movement for Justice Party

moderator
Patrick Doherty
Co-Director, Counterterrorism Strategy Initiative
New America Foundation