By Yatindra Bhatnagar

Nothing surprises me in this country anymore, especially the political drama that is being carried on. The latest - and not the last - is by Vice President Joe Biden who truly follows his leader, President Barack Obama in trying to make friends out of sworn enemies.

Theoretically, and in certain circumstances, it might be an enlightened Gandhian policy but in the present context it is totally insane and nonsensical, even suicidal, policy.

The latest effort is indeed shocking as Biden says that Taliban is not our enemy. I thought the Taliban in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan, is killing Americans, attacking Americans in addition to blasting those who are supposed to be friends and allies of the US.

After the ouster of the Soviet Union the Taliban has been America's first enemy in Afghanistan that, in turn, was ousted by the blood and money of the Americans. Pakistan had created Taliban and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had immediately recognized it.

The Taliban regime was a shame for humanity with religious zealots creating all kinds of social havoc in the country. It was only after 9/11 and an enraged United States led by President George W. Bush that Pakistan was forced to fall inline and the Taliban was ousted from Afghanistan.

Though Pakistan has not yet fully reconciled to the fact that the American and the NATO are there to not only make sure that Afghanistan is really free and comparatively peaceful nation with adequate infrastructure that ensures all round progress in economic, social and educational spheres, it's the Taliban that is putting hurdles all the way. Taliban militants attack US-backed Hamid Karzai government establishment in Afghanistan and their Pakistani counterpart keep harassing Islamabad, still an ally of the United States. Still Joe Biden doesn't think Taliban is enemy of the United States.

It's again an effort to reach out to your enemies who are out to kill you and your friends. So far, Obama administrations ill-advised efforts have not resulted in any positive development. Taliban has been a terrorist organization for more than a decade and a retrograde outfit against secularism, pluralism, social freedom and education for women, and generally, the democratic way of life.

Taliban is a hard line Islamic outfit committed to jihad against the West led by America. It's also against India that is a shining example of democracy and secularism and is making tremendous efforts in men and material to develop Afghanistan.

America's "special ally" Pakistan that was given billions of dollars worth of economic and military aid is proving to be one of the worst enemies of the US. However, the American policy of helping, appeasing and tolerating Pakistan with its military complex and fake democracy continues and Joe Biden's latest announcement confirms it.

Let me quote what the Vice President told NEWSWEEK magazine:

"The Taliban per se is not our enemy. That's critical."

[But have Taliban leaders not said all the time who their enemy is, and have they not continued to attack the US and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan?]

This is the latest in a series of moves by the Obama administration to send an olive branch to the terrorist outfits and Islamic militants all over the world. Surely the events of 9/11 and what has been continuously happening worldwide in some form or the other have not disturbed the American administration. [Killing Osama bin Laden does not prove that the Obama administration is committed to win the War on Terror. Now the US doesn't even use the term.]

Biden told Newsweek in an interview that "There is not a single statement that the (US) President has ever made in any of our policy assertions that the Taliban is our enemy because it threatens US interests.

If, in fact, the Taliban is able to collapse the existing government, which is cooperating with us in keeping the bad guys from being able to do damage to us, then that becomes a problem for us. So there's a dual track here, Biden added.

"One, continue to keep the pressure on al-Qaida and continue to diminish them. Two, put the government in a position where they can be strong enough that they can negotiate with and not be overthrown by the Taliban," he said.

"And at the same time try to get the Taliban to move in the direction to see to it that they, through reconciliation, commit not to be engaged with al-Qaida or any other organization that they would harbor to do damage to us and our allies," Biden said.

Surely that statement of Biden must have created some flutter in the Obama administration. However, they would not admit it and have tried to minimize its impact as the White House spokesman attempted to.

Press Secretary Jay Carney has kind of defended Biden's statement and said the Vice-President does not regret having said this.

He said: "We didn't invade Afghanistan. We did not send US military personnel into Afghanistan because the Taliban were in power. They had been in power. We went into Afghanistan because al-Qaida had launched an attack against the US from Afghanistan."

So what does it mean? The US ousted Taliban, defeated it and replaced it with a saner government that is fighting Taliban and is being helped in that struggle by the US and NATO forces and money. What then is the relation between Taliban and the US? Joe Biden and Obama administration know it very well but continue to fool the people and hope the radical Islamic terrorists would extend their hand in friendship - some day - after they have killed enough Americans and destroyed enough that was built by the American and allied blood and money.