Hagel Intended 'No Slight' By Asking Indian-American Prof if He Was 'Taliban'

I have no doubt that Hagel was guilty of no more than a bad joke but a conservative would have lost his job over such a joke

Speaking Wednesday in his home state of Nebraska, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel jokingly asked an Indian professor if he was a member of the Taliban.

A short time earlier, Hagel had praised Vice President Joe Biden as "one of the truly most informed people I've ever -- ever dealt with, and partly because he's smart."

After making remarks at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, Hagel took a few questions from the audience.

"Ok, so who has a (question) -- way up in the back there," Hagel said. "You're not a member of the Taliban, are you?"

The remark was greeted with silence and a long pause:

"Mr. Secretary, I'm Robin Gandhi. I'm an assistant professor at UNO." The professor then asked Hagel a question about using cyber capabilities as a deterrent to those who want to attack the U.S.

The Washington Free Beacon said the Pentagon later issued a statement saying, “Absolutely no slight toward any individual in the audience was intended. That’s the last thing the Secretary would do under any circumstance, in this or any other setting. He didn’t know who would be called next to pose a question.”

Shortly before calling on the Indian professor, Hagel had been talking about Afghanistan and the Taliban.

Source