Kimberly Kagan on How Taliban and Al-Qaeda Differ
That isn't to say that the groups don't share goals and know each other, however.
"What we have in Afghanistan is a network of enemy groups who are tied by close personal relationships between their leaders," said Kagan.
She noted that "the first few steps that these groups need to undertake are actually shared in common."
"They need safe havens," Kagan said. "They need to establish a state in which they can produce their vision of law, order and justice. And from which they can project power."
Journalist George Packer added that the relationship between the groups goes to "the pressures and dilemmas facing Obama's war council."
"One apparent way out of this, you know, really difficult project of finally beginning to fight a serious counterinsurgency in Afghanistan has been to shift focus away from the Taliban and toward al-Qaeda," said the New Yorker staff writer. "And that is associated with Vice President Biden."
Watch part of the conversation above, and click here to see the whole thing.
More from the conversation:
George Packer: Obama Doesn't Want War to Doom Presidency