I disagree. The Taliban may have been considered a government, but the Taliban didn't attack us.
No, they didn't. When we asked if they'd turn Bin Laden over to us for obvious reasons, they refused. We have a War Powers Act engaged with specific language, the President can make war on anyone harboring terrorists as well and....well...there you have it.
Al Qaeda is a multinational criminal organization more similar to the mafia than to a government entity.
The Mafia are here. Many American citizens. Not attacking United States warships or embassies, not flying planes into the Pentagon, not capturing and torturing US soldiers, your analogy is unsound, imo.
9/11 was not an act of war, it was terrorism.
The United States Congress considered it an act of war, have you read the Authorization? Got stuff like "Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States;", and "the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons" and stuff like that you wouldn't see used against a mafia.
If the Yakuza or some Columbian drug cartel had hijacked those planes would we be trying to topple the local government?
Yes. If these two organizations that haven't declared war on the US as al-Qaeda has hijacked planes and we asked the Colombian government to turn over these perps and they refused? That's a War Powers Act by Congress waiting to happen. Should this Yakuza or drug cartel also have been trying to start a war for years, had previously attacked a US Warship, had previously killed embassy personnel...we would be remiss NOT to declare open hostilities, we'd be foolish to NOT wake up and consider these acts of war.
But if the Taliban had said "sure, we'll help you get rid of Al Qaeda" there would have been no war necessary to deal with the terrorist group.
Correct, there would be no war necessary. But they didn't so...war necesssary...right?
Al Capone could have hijacked a plane as easily as Al Qaeda if he really wanted to.
Al Capone was a US citizen! I don't see your analogy at all here. You'd support sending the troops in after an al-Qaeda harbored by the Taliban correct? That is saying you favor the US military being used to chase criminals. Repsonsible for collecting data or evidence on the battlefield as well? Must we read them rights if they're merely criminals, are they presumed innocent?
Madness!