White House Dodges Questions on Taliban Strength

“I do think that this scenario and this terrible event that occurred in Pakistan sort of highlights the violent tendencies of some of these extremist groups, which, in turn, underscores the need to do all that we can to strengthen and support Afghan security forces as they try to protect their country and their citizens from some of these extremist groups that aren’t just carrying out acts of violence against Muslims in Pakistan, but also carrying out acts of violence against Muslims in Afghanistan ...

I’m not in a position to say from here exactly who is responsible. This is something that Pakistani authorities are looking into ...

This Democratic transition that we saw over the course of the fall was historic for Afghanistan. This is the first time we’ve seen the peaceful Democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan’s history. So there are certainly challenges that they face and will face, and there will be setbacks. But the United States of America remains committed to standing with our partners in Afghanistan.”