Two weeks after the US forces left Afghanistan at the hands of the Taliban, a top Intelligence official has now expressed fear over the resurgence of the terror outfit Al-Qaeda in the country, reported The New York Times.
While speaking about the development, Director of Defence Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen Scott Berrier conceded that Al-Qaeda could regroup within a span of 1-2 years. He added that the terror outfit can use Afghanistan as its ‘operation base’ and pose threats for the homeland. Berrier emphasised, “The current assessment, probably conservatively, is one to two years for al-Qaeda to build some capability to at least threaten the homeland.”
The concern, raised by the Director of Defence Intelligence Agency, found the support of CIA Deputy Director David Cohen. He informed that the difficult task was to detect when Al-Qaeda would become ‘capable’ to carry out attacks in the United States. Cohen added that the CIA had been keeping watch over members of the terror outfit, who had returned back to Afghanistan. Although he did not name names, slain terrorist Osama bin Laden’s aide Amin al Haq was spotted in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan in August this year.
New York Times reported that although the Taliban had fought ISIS in Afghanistan, it has been allied with al-Qaeda. During the Taliban rule in the country (1996-2001), Al-Qaeda under Osama bin Laden carried out the deadly 9/11 attacks in the United States. In a peace agreement with the US, the Talibs had vowed to not harbour terror outfits in Afghanistan. But, given its limited capabilities to control the border, the US security forces cannot rule out the return of Al-Qaeda terrorists in the country.
US seeks to gain back access to Afghanistan
CIA Deputy Director David Cohen stated that the US would rebuild informant networks, strengthen Intelligence collection from over the horizon. He stated, “We will also look for ways to work from within the horizon, to the extent that is possible.”Director of Defence Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen Scott Berrier added that the US government is looking for ways and sources to gain back access to the deserted territory of Afghanistan.
Earlier on August 16, US President Joe Biden had hinted about retaining its ability to conduct ‘over the horizon’ operations in Afghanistan without maintaining troops on ground. He had remarked, “We conduct effective counterterrorism missions against terrorist groups in multiple countries where we don’t have a permanent military presence. If necessary, we will do the same in Afghanistan. We’ve developed counterterrorism over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on any direct threats to the United States in the region and to act quickly and decisively if needed.”
Failure of the United States’ in Afghanistan under scruitny
The ability of the United States, to carry out counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan from afar, came under the scanner following the bombing inside the Hamid Karzai international airport in Afghan’s capital Kabul on August 26. The deadly attack claimed more than 100 lives, including that of 13 US soldiers. Islamic State’s regional affiliate Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) had taken the responsibility for the attack and the suicide bomber was identified as one Abdul Rehman Al-Loghri. The terror attack also temporarily disrupted the evacuation of tens and thousands of stranded civilians.
Local Afghans had also accused the US forces of killing their loved ones in ‘panic firing’ in the aftermath of the suicide bombing at the airport. They informed BBC journalist Secunder Kermani that many of their family members were not killed in the blast but in firing by the US forces, amidst the chaos and confusion caused outside the airport after the terror attack. A London-based taxi driver named Mohammed Niazi and his wife were allegedly killed in US firing. One Nouma Hamid, who was employed with the United States, was reportedly also killed in firing by the country’s security forces.
The US Army conducted a drone strike to avenge the suicide bombing attack at the Kabul airport by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). It had claimed to target a vehicle within a residential area, supposedly carrying ‘multiple’ ISKP suicide bombers. However, an exclusive investigation by the New York Times (NYT) had revealed that the drone attack killed a 43-year-old aid worker named Zemari Ahmadi and 9 of his family members (including 7 children) instead of ISKP terrorists. At that time, he was driving his 1996 Toyota Corolla car carrying water jugs, which the Pentagon apparently mistook for explosives.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Joe Biden claims that Al Qaeda is ‘gone’ from Afghanistan
The Haqqani Network and Al-Qaeda also ran joint training camps in Pakistan’s North Waziristan region after the US invasion, and according to expert Peter Bergen, the Haqqani Network also helped Bin Laden to escape Afghanistan when American forces were closing in on him during the Battle of Tora Bora in 2001. According to a US Treasury Department report in January, the Haqqanis continue to have close links Al-Qaeda despite the Taliban assurances, and the network had also considered forming a joint unit with Al-Qaeda.
However, the Taliban officials have denied any association with Al-Qaeda. Joe Biden, in an attempt to justify the hasty withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan that facilitated the Taliban takeover, said, “Look, let’s put this thing in perspective. What interest do we have in Afghanistan at this point, with al Qaeda gone? We went to Afghanistan for the express purpose of getting rid of al Qaeda in Afghanistan as well as — as well as — getting Osama bin Laden. And we did.”
