With the Taliban invasion of Afghanistan, an obvious question is what does this mean for the future of Al Qaeda and other radical Islamic militancy groups including Daesh (Islamic State) which are committed to waging a global jihad. As Taliban leaders have declared of rebranding the country into an ‘Islamic Emirate’, hundreds and thousands of radical Muslims from around the world are seeing this as a “beginning” of the “waving of Islamic flags” in “most of the nations” in the world. They even are seeing the dream of turning Britain and the US into their next Caliphate.
According to analysts, Taliban’s astonishing invasion of Afghanistan will deliver a tremendous boost to Islamist extremists everywhere in the world – whether Al Qaeda, Islamic State, jihadists in Mozambique, Nigeria, India, Yemen, Lebanon, Gaza and West Bank or Syria, and jihadist fanboys in bedsits in Birmingham or Manila.
Last week, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News when asked about Afghanistan that he was “absolutely worried that failed states are bredding grounds for those types of people and Al Qaeda will probably come back”.
British Defence Secretary was right to worry about failed states – the September 11 attacks, which also is known as 9/11 attacks of 2001 were planned and prepared by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan when it was ruled by the Taliban – but wrong about the group making some kind of return. Al Qaeda is already in Afghanistan.
Few months ago, the United Nations published an assessment based on intelligence received from member states stating that Al Qaeda “is present in at least 15 Afghan provinces”, and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), an affiliate of the jihadist outfit “operates under Taliban protection from Kandahar, Helmand and Nimruz provinces”. Al Qaeda’s media celebrate its fighter’s apparently frequent operations in Afghanistan.
Despite the fact of US President Joe Biden’s continuous ignorance of the issue of Afghanistan becoming world’s biggest terrorist launchpad, this will ultimately put Biden and his administration into serious jeopardy and it is anticipated that during the 2022 midterm polls, Democrats will now face a humiliating result. Biden’s blunder in Afghanistan will cost his dream of remaining in presidency until 2028 or Democrats aspiration of remaining in the White House eternally.
Biden has been making similar mistakes in Iran and also with his foul approach towards Palestinian terrorist outfit Hamas. With his abrupt retreat from Afghanistan and his granting opportunity for the Taliban in turning Afghanistan into an Islamic Emirate clearly proves, the US president is playing the role of an appeaser of radical Islam. He certainly should be held responsible for any future attacks by the jihadist forces in the US, the Western nations and beyond. Despite the fact of Taliban making pledge during the Doha Deal of not allowing training, fundraising or recruitment of terrorists, including Al Qaeda, that would threaten the security of the United States and its allies, Taliban would never honor such pledges.
It may be mentioned here that the defeat of the Afghan mujahideen of the Soviets in 1989 became a foundational myth that contributed significantly to the rise of the entire contemporary global jihadist activities, even though Al Qaeda in reality played a negligible role in the war. The defeat of a second superpower by a new band of Afghan Islamic fighters was a massive propaganda coup at a time when all such groups were badly in need of new narratives. Now, Taliban victory in Afghanistan will be seen as Islam’s victory against world only superpower which will certainly embolden Al Qaeda and other jihadist outfits.
Now, after bringing Afghanistan under its rule, Taliban regime will seek international recognition, and it is highly anticipated that Iran and Pakistan will be amongst the first few nation which would gladly recognize the Taliban-led Islamist government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
