Definitions

I never want to hear again that the interrogations of prisoners in Gitmo makes us the same as these people. Nor the belief that the Taliban are just a misunderstood political party. Today's attacks at a Muslim university in Pakistan put paid to that. I saw some of the pictures of the attack and these folks used ball bearings in the explosive vests do not be surprised if rat poison was used as well.. This article gives a good summary of attacks inside Pakistan since 2007. Pakistan has suffered 275 attacks and 2200 killed these actions meet any defenition of terrorism. This does not include attacks by Taliban and al-Qaeda forces inside of Afghanistan.

The State Departments definition of Terrorism is: The term terrorism means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.
FBI: Terrorism is the "unlawful use of force or violence against person or property to intimidate or coerce a government, a civilian population or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
United Nations: A Terrorist is any person who, acting independently of the specific recognition of a country, or as a single person, or as part of a group not recognized as an official part of division of a nation, acts to destroy or to injure civilian or destroy or damage peoperty belonging to civilian or to governments in order to effect some political goal.

While al-Qaeda and the Taliban have a symbiotic relationship the Taliban have also gone on to create a name for themselves and to treat them as a seperate entity is short sighted and dangerous.