McConnell: Taliban, al Qaeda Connected

Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell called the Obama administration's possible move to find accommodation with the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan "troubling."

As originally reported by the Washington Post on Friday, some in the White House see the Taliban as a "deeply-rooted political movement in Afghanistan" that .

"You do get the impression that the administration - at least some in the administration - are trying to distinguish between al Qaeda and the Taliban. Well, they are different, but they are inter-connected," McConnell, R-Ky., told "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer Sunday.

"We know that when the Taliban was in charge in Afghanistan, al Qaeda was allowed to operate freely. We know they launched the 9/11 attack from there, planned it and launched it from there,"

He noted that "underscores the danger of the Taliban," particularly in a nation armed with nuclear weapons.

"The Taliban taking over a country like Pakistan would be completely and totally unacceptable destabilizing not only in that area of the world but all around."

The Republican leader said he hopes President Obama listens to the suggestions of Generals Petraeus and McChrystal to send additional combat troops to the region to continue the counterinsurgency strategy focusing both on al Qaeda and the Taliban.

"Our generals have told us the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated," he said. "I think we need to take this very, very seriously."

He added that if President Obama were to come to Congress asking for approval to send an additional 40,000 troops to Afghanistan, he will be met with "overwhelming" Republican support.

"[T]his is not just about nation building," McConnell told Schieffer. "This is about protecting the United States of America. We know that we can't have a haven over there for the reconstitution of al Qaeda."

Schieffer asked McConnell why he suggested General McChrystal testify before Congress rather than just advise the administration and have President Obama appeal to Congress.

"Because we appropriate the funds," he said. "It's not uncommon for generals to come up and speak to us about what they're recommending. At some point here certainly the president will make a decision. If he chooses to wait until then to have General McChrystal come up, that's his prerogative. We're going to want to hear from those who will implement the strategy."

Finally, he admitted that the Karzai government in Afghanistan is a "flawed administration," but said the main objective in the U.S.-Afghanistan partnership is "protecting the United States of America.

"We know that [Afghanistan] has been a haven for terrorists in the past. We don't want to let it become a haven for terrorists again," McConnell said.