Taliban and al-Qaeda could ‘join up’ warns security expert
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Since the insurgency ousted the US-backed Afghanistan government, the director of the Defence Intelligence Agency has warned that al Qaeda may launch an attack. This stark warning came on Tuesday during the Intelligence and National Security Summit, when Army Lieutenant General Scott Berrier stated it may be “one to two years” until an attack may occur.
“The current assessment conservatively is one to two years for al Qaeda to build some capability to at least threaten the homeland,” General Berrier said.
On August 31 the US military completed its withdrawal, leaving the Taliban in control of the country.
“We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out,” General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said from Washington.
The last planes left Kabul airport one minute before midnight on August 31 – the deadline that was arranged to carry out the evacuations.
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“American soldiers left the Kabul airport, and our nation got its full independence,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at the time.
However, since Afghanistan has been left in the hands of the militants, General Berrier has said that the US is seeking ways to regain access to the country and the Defence Intelligence Agency is focusing on the possible terror threats.
“We are prioritizing that effort,” the three-star general said.
David Cohen, CIA Deputy Director, agreed with the general’s assumption that an attack may hit the US within the next couple of years.
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“We are already beginning to see some of the indications of some potential movement of al Qaeda to Afghanistan,” Mr. Cohen said.
“But it’s early days and we will keep a very close eye on that.”
Officials have stated that the Islamic State’s branch in Afghanistan, ISIS-K, may pose a threat to the US, especially after the attack during the US evacuations.
ISIS-K staged a suicide bombing on August 26 as American troops were carrying out evacuations in the capitals airport.
The attack killed 13 US service members and dozens of Afghans.
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