Originally Posted by Brent

Al Queda was formed in Saudi Arabia to overthrow the monarchy there and install a less corrupt government. The Taliban was the controlling group in Afghanistan. I'm not sure at what point the Taliban was formed but they evolved from the conflict in Afghanistan.

American foreign policy is uneven at best. I think a large part of this is due to diplomats and government officials only thinking ahead two weeks instead of decades. So you get successes like the Marshall Plan and the occupation and rebuilding of Japan countered by the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. And it didn't help that for 50 years after WW II the policy has been that if the Soviets are for it, America is against it, and if the Soviets are against it then America is for it. One can only wonder how countries in, say Africa, would have turned out if various dictators were not supported based on their pro Western or pro Soviet stance.

I don't know who said it but the statement "There are no national friends, only national interests" is true.