The Myth of the Moderate Taliban

Abstract

The idea that there is a moderate faction of the Taliban (from a Western liberal perspective) or that the policies of the Taliban can be moderated to support a constitutional democracy has been a persistent myth across three U.S. presidential administrations. In this article, the author examines the actual governing structure, ideology, and social networks of the Taliban explains why a discrete and ideologically identifiable moderate faction with moderate policy objectives has failed to materialize. The author concludes that the consistent dissemination of this myth despite any substantial evidence reflects the imperative to expedite an exit policy as well as the United States' limited long-term interests in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the South Asia region.