UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05760166 Date: 06/30/2015

RELEASE IN PART
B6

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H <hrod17@clintonemail.com >
Thursday, October 8, 2009 7:15 AM
'JilotyLC@state.gov'
Fw: Troops

pis print.
Original Message
From: Mark J. Penn <
To: H
Sent: Thu Oct 08 03:26:41 2009
Subject: Troops
I have to say that this argument that the Taliban are ok to ignore is dangerous morally and politically.
The argument at the time was that harboring terrorism was the same as launching terrorism and that those who
harbored would be held responsible. This also had long term deterrence value against regimes that would outsource the
dirty work.
To now even consider giving the Taliban a pass after harboring terrorists who committed direct attacks on new York and
Washington defies the imagination. This wasn't some embassy bombing but a strike right at our country. The white
house or congress barely escaped destruction. Saddam Hussein wasn't connected to al Qaeda but the Taliban surely
were without question.
And Teheran and north Korea are watching carefully, gauging how much resolve the us has in stopping their plans. If the
us lets the Taliban off the hook then they certainly can conclude it will do nothing beyond sanctions with them. And
essentially letting karzai twist in the wind also suggests the us does not live up to it's commitments, giving pause to
those who would help the us.
Politically, this is also quite dangerous. Obama maintained througout the campaign and the start of his presidency that
this is the one to fight and backing down here makes him and the administration vulnerable to losing moderate support
and seeming weak and indecisive.
A single terrorist incident would be blamed on the admin. failing to do the job right.
I could go on and on with other negative ramifications but of all the options it appears to me any strategy that says
fighting the taliban are not in the strategic interests of the us should be doa.

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05760166 Date: 06/30/2015