It turns out that the Taliban is not the only organization grateful for Joe-Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
According to a United Nations report, the radical Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda is once again finding a safe haven in the region.
This from theguardian.com.
As the Taliban faces continued attacks from the Islamic State (ISIS), it is “maintaining close ties with al-Qaida as they consolidate control over the country,” according to the Times of Israel.
The U.N.’s report warned that as the weather becomes more favorable in the region, hostilities between the two foes could intensify. However, the organization does give an assurance that neither ISIS nor al-Qaeda “is believed to be capable of mounting international attacks before 2023 at the earliest, regardless of their intent or of whether the Taliban acts to restrain them.”
Al-Qaida has a haven in Afghanistan under the Taliban and “increased freedom of action” with the potential of launching new long-distance attacks in coming years, a UN report based on intelligence supplied by member states says.
The assessment, by the UN committee charged with enforcing sanctions on the Taliban and others that may threaten the security of Afghanistan, will raise concerns that the country could once again become a base for international terrorist attacks after the withdrawal of US and Nato troops last year.
Critics of the current U.S. Regime will point to the report’s description of a “close relationship” between al-Qaida and the Taliban as evidence that the decision to pull out all U.S. forces was an error.
Though al-Qaida has been overshadowed by the violence of Islamic State in recent years, it remains a potential threat with a presence in parts of south Asia, the Middle East and the Sahel. Several dozen al-Qaida senior leaders are based in Afghanistan, as well as affiliated groups such as al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent.
The Taliban have repeatedly said they are adhering to an agreement they signed with the U.S. in 2020, before taking power, in which they promised to fight terrorists, and they have insisted Afghanistan will not be used as a launching pad for attacks against other countries.
The report credits the Taliban with making efforts to restrain al-Qaida, but raises concerns that these may not last.
An undisclosed number of al-Qaida members are reported to be living in Kabul’s former diplomatic quarter, where they may have access to meetings at the foreign affairs ministry, the report’s authors say, although they say this information is not confirmed.
The report also says a sudden spate of statements and communications from al-Qaida’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, suggests “he may be able to lead more effectively than was possible before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan”.
We may not experience al-Qaida strikes on the west in the near future, but due to Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan the odds are favorable for future conflict.
Preferably the next time the U.S. tangles with radical Islam will merely involve U.S. unmanned air strikes. However, we must consider the Taliban to have been bolstered by Joe-Joe’s lackluster withdrawal as well as the many gifts left behind—equipment, weapons, and American citizens.
Damn you Joe-Joe.
