# Should the US be bartering with terrorists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 1, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787 "2014-06-01T20:32:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/141 "2014-06-11T13:04:39Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > Waco Do you know what a helicopter gunship is? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/142 "2014-06-11T14:57:52Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Taliban /= al-Qaida. So I’m not sure what Kerry’s point was but this prisoner swap does not remotely mean “free ranging al-qaida”. I quoted him directly. Not sure what you don’t understand. Qatar is not keeping them under lock and key. [They are free to move about.](https://ca.news.yahoo.com/qatar-allowing-freed-taliban-men-move-freely-country-130028784.html) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/143 "2014-06-11T16:13:53Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Do you know what a helicopter gunship is? It’s a helicopter with guns. Curious why you asked. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/144 "2014-06-11T16:34:55Z")
See post #140. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/145 "2014-06-11T16:41:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > See post #140. Yes I saw that. Any plane or helicopter used in conjunction with weapons is a [gunship](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunship)which is why I asked you the question. Here’s what the French used as a [gunship](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A9rospatiale_Alouette_III#mediaviewer/File:Alouette_3_2.jpg). Maybe you’re thinking only Cobra’s are gunships. That is not the case. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/146 "2014-06-11T17:12:03Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I quoted him directly. Not sure what you don’t understand. > > Qatar is not keeping them under lock and key. [They are free to move about.](https://ca.news.yahoo.com/qatar-allowing-freed-taliban-men-move-freely-country-130028784.html) They are not al-qaida. So I don’t know what Kerry’s point was unless he is also wrongly equating Taliban and al-Qaida. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/147 "2014-06-11T17:23:42Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > They are not al-qaida. So I don’t know what Kerry’s point was unless he is also wrongly equating Taliban and al-Qaida. It’s pretty clear that he’s suggesting we can sort them out as he thinks we’ve done with Al-Qaida. And you do realize that Al-Qaida gives support to the Taliban. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/148 "2014-06-11T17:35:00Z")
Just because there are some links between them doesn’t mean you should conflate the two groups willy nilly. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/149 "2014-06-11T18:01:07Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Just because there are some links between them doesn’t mean you should conflate the two groups willy nilly. If it bothers you that much then send a letter to the Secretary of State and correct him. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/150 "2014-06-11T18:16:48Z")
You did it too, so I am correcting you. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/151 "2014-06-11T18:54:38Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > You did it too, so I am correcting you. I quoted the Secretary of State. His statement was accurate as written. He warned that the Taliban terrorists released would get the same treatment as Al-Qaida from the United States. I pointed out to you that on top of that statement Al-Qaida and the Taliban are linked by funding. I’ll further point out that [Qatar](http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/qatari-and-yemeni-funded-al-qaida-groups-us-says-1.1268749)is a major source of those funds so we’ve released the Taliban into an area that makes it easier for them to reconstitute the financing of their activities. You basically have nothing to contribute to this thread and are looking for a hair to split so you have something to argue about. Taliban =/= Al-Qaida is that hair. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/152 "2014-06-11T22:41:06Z")
You got me. I really don’t have anything to contribute to this partisan wankfest other than that. Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787/153 "2014-06-11T23:08:12Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Yes I saw that. Any plane or helicopter used in conjunction with weapons is a [gunship](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunship)which is why I asked you the question. Here’s what the French used as a [gunship](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A9rospatiale_Alouette_III#mediaviewer/File:Alouette_3_2.jpg). Maybe you’re thinking only Cobra’s are gunships. That is not the case. No. A gunship is an aircraft that carries mounted guns. The helicopters at Waco were unarmed and were used only for observation overflights. If you are saying a gunship is any aircraft with guns on it, you are wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-be-bartering-with-terrorists/689787.md?page=7)