Many Western commentators seem to be hoping that the Taliban has become more moderate and pragmatic since it last ruled Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Taliban has already dashed hopes that it has developed any respect for human rights. The group has already canceled girls’ sports and secondary education, conducted public hangings, tortured journalists, and banned music. The U.S. must not throw the Islamist fundamentalist organization a lifeline by conferring international recognition and legitimacy. Quite the opposite, the U.S. should be planning for the worst; for a future in which al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups again enjoy a safe haven in Afghanistan, with the potential to launch terrorist attacks against the U.S. and its interests and allies abroad.