Al-Qaeda has grown ‘barely’ inside Afghanistan since Taliban takeover: U.S. commander – Nationwide

The al-Qaeda extremist group has grown barely inside Afghanistan since U.S. forces left in late August, and the nation’s new Taliban leaders are divided over whether or not to satisfy their 2020 pledge to interrupt ties with the group, the highest U.S. commander within the area mentioned Thursday.

Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, mentioned in an interview with The Related Press that the departure of U.S. navy and intelligence belongings from Afghanistan has made it a lot tougher to trace al-Qaeda and different extremist teams inside Afghanistan.

“We’re in all probability at about 1 or 2% of the capabilities we as soon as needed to look into Afghanistan,” he mentioned, including that this makes it “very onerous, not not possible” to make sure that neither al-Qaeda nor the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate can pose a risk to america.

Talking on the Pentagon, McKenzie mentioned it’s clear that al-Qaeda is trying to rebuild its presence inside Afghanistan, which was the bottom from which it deliberate the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults in opposition to america. He mentioned some militants are coming into the nation by its porous borders, however it’s onerous for the U.S. to trace numbers.

The U.S. invasion that adopted the Sept. 11 assaults led to a 20-year battle that succeeded initially by eradicating the Taliban from energy however in the end failed. After President Joe Biden introduced in April that he was withdrawing fully from Afghanistan, the Taliban systematically overpowered Afghan authorities defenses and seized Kabul, the capital, in August.

McKenzie and different senior U.S. navy and nationwide safety officers had mentioned earlier than the U.S. withdrawal that it might complicate efforts to maintain a lid on the al-Qaeda risk, partially due to the lack of on-the-ground intelligence data and the absence of a U.S.-friendly authorities in Kabul. The U.S. says it’s going to depend on airstrikes from drones and different plane primarily based past Afghanistan’s borders to reply to any extremist threats in opposition to the U.S. homeland.

McKenzie mentioned no such strikes have been carried out because the U.S. accomplished its withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 30. He added that America’s means to conduct such strikes relies on the supply of intelligence, overhead imagery and different data and communications, “and that structure remains to be being developed proper now.”

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Al-Qaeda is amongst quite a few extremist teams inside Afghanistan. After 2001, it misplaced most of its numbers and its means to instantly threaten U.S. territory, however McKenzie mentioned it retains “an aspirational want” to assault america. Throughout their first interval of rule in Kabul, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban gave haven to al-Qaeda and refused Washington’s demand after 9/11 to expel the group and switch over its chief, Osama bin Laden. The Taliban and al-Qaeda have maintained ties ever since.

“So we’re nonetheless making an attempt to kind out precisely how the Taliban goes to proceed in opposition to them, and I believe over the month or two it’ll develop into a bit of extra obvious to us,” he mentioned.

Equally, McKenzie mentioned it’s not but clear how strongly Taliban will go after the Islamic State group, also called ISIS, which has violently attacked the Taliban throughout the nation. The US blamed ISIS for an Aug. 26 suicide bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 American service members within the closing days of the U.S. evacuation.

ISIS was “reinvigorated,” McKenzie mentioned, by the discharge of quite a few ISIS fighters from Afghan prisons in mid-August. He mentioned each ISIS and al-Qaeda are recruiting from inside and outdoors Afghanistan.

“So definitely we must always anticipate a resurgent ISIS. It might be very stunning if that weren’t the case,” he mentioned, including, “It stays to be seen that the Taliban are going to have the ability to take efficient motion in opposition to them.”

He referred to as al-Qaida a tougher downside for the Taliban due to their longstanding ties.

“So I believe there are inside arguments contained in the Taliban about the best way ahead,” he mentioned. “What we want to see from the Taliban could be a robust place in opposition to al-Qaeda,” which they promised as a part of the February 2020 Doha settlement that dedicated america to completely withdrawing from Afghanistan. “However I don’t imagine that’s but been totally realized.”

McKenzie declined to offer an estimate of the variety of al-Qaeda operatives inside Afghanistan.

“I believe it’s in all probability barely elevated,” he mentioned. “There’s a presence. We thought it was down fairly small, you realize, towards the tip of the battle. I believe some individuals have in all probability come again in. Nevertheless it’s one of many issues we take a look at, however I wouldn’t be assured providing you with a quantity proper now.”