But taking out al-Qaeda chieftain Ayman Zawahiri on the balcony of one of Kabul’s most posh neighborhoods, a city the US retreated to in turmoil a year ago, is no everyday feat. This is a stunning display of the capabilities that two decades of experience in hunting terrorists have left the United States with.
Afghanistan has been a safe haven for terrorists for the past decade. They didn’t carry out the attack from there, so they had to be careful. However, the fact that Zawahiriri lived there reveals the frenzied turn that ensued leading up to the U.S. withdrawal.
For years, America’s perception of the al-Qaeda threat in Afghanistan seemed to waver, depending on what trail the United States was following. That in the years they tried to push their longest war harder, there remained a definite hardcore threat, perhaps hundreds of key al-Qaeda figures, explained that they could rebuild themselves. I remember
Since then, the U.S. hastened to withdraw, downplaying the danger posed by al Qaeda. The Afghan raid on al-Qaeda leaders showed how well the issue was being handled.The US hinted that the group was still there and big enough to strike, rather than It looked like
Now, ironically, thanks to this American success, there is undeniable evidence of the problems Washington has wanted for years.
Al-Qaeda is “preparing for something,” said a former senior Afghan government official familiar with counter-terrorism.
He believes that Zawahiri is not the only major al-Qaeda figure in the country, but that his potential successor and number two Saif al-Ader, who is reported to be in Iran by the United Nations, recently moved to Afghanistan. He suggested that he might have entered.
Last May, just before the stunning fall of Kabul, Afghan intelligence officials said it would take al Qaeda six to 12 months to carry out an attack in the region and perhaps 18 to 18 to do the same in the West. Estimated to take a month. .
It’s unclear how that timeline was affected by Zawahiri’s death, but its symbolic impact certainly means it’s unlikely to have accelerated.
So where does this leave the Taliban? In fact, not much has changed.
The Haqqani network, which holds firm control of Kabul, has long been accused of strong ties to al-Qaeda. It may be their infrastructure that supported the Zawahiri while they were in town.
His death could therefore underscore divisions within the Taliban. Moderates in this group may hope their efforts to adjust to the world stage were not hampered by this incident.
The Haqqanis remain perhaps the most confident and assertive of the group, unlikely to suddenly change course after this embarrassment.
For ordinary people in Afghanistan, it’s even worse news as they grapple with the impact of sanctions, isolation, and the struggles they’ll always face when rebels suddenly have to provide government services.
After this, it has become difficult to advocate improved relations between the West and Kabul.
And this strike does not significantly change the reality Al Qaeda faces on the ground. Their brand has spun up into a series of global franchises that cause local terrorism. Still, they remain the group that hasn’t been brutal to the world’s headlines for some time now.
According to one senior counter-terrorism analyst, Zawahiri seems more relaxed and confident in his messages to the outside world, referring to more recent world events. Complacency on his part or on his host’s part may have contributed to the success of this strike.
Al-Zawahiri is still believed to have been directly involved in planning the Al-Qaeda operation, but the world has changed since the sudden shock and grief of the earthquake on September 11, 2001.
But it teaches us two lessons: First, despite the humiliating but strategically inevitable withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States will retain long range and long memory. We continue to seek justice for the crimes of 20 years ago. There is determination here, and given the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine, it cannot go unnoticed by US adversaries.
But the second lesson is darker. People don’t always change. Even after the devastation caused by NATO’s presence in Afghanistan, and the damage and turmoil caused by the Taliban’s decision to evacuate al-Qaeda decades ago, some of the Taliban want them to make a home there again. chose to give
The sight still baffles me. For two decades, a US drone strike has killed an al-Qaeda leader in an area where Westerners and associated Afghan officials basked in comfort behind secure walls. dawn light.
Source: www.cnn.com
