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Al-Qaeda could rebuild in Afghanistan in a year or two: US officials
Al-Qaeda could rebuild inside Afghanistan in one to two years, top US intelligence officials said Tuesday, noting that some members of the group had already returned to the country, New York Times reported.
Earlier in the year, top Pentagon officials said al-Qaeda could reconstitute in two years, then told lawmakers after the fall of the previous Afghan government they were revising that timeline, the Times reported.
While the Islamic Emirate has long fought the Islamic State affiliate (ISIS-K), they are established allies of al-Qaeda, the Times reported.
“The current assessment probably conservatively is one to two years for al-Qaeda to build some capability to at least threaten the homeland,” Lt. General Scott Berrier, the director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency said Tuesday at the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit.
David Cohen, the deputy director of the CIA, said the difficult part of the timeline question was to know when al-Qaeda or ISIS-K would “have the capability to go to strike the homeland” before they could be detected, the Times reported.
According to Cohen, the CIA is keeping a keen watch of “some potential movement of al-Qaeda to Afghanistan”.
He did not identify specific al-Qaeda members who have traveled back to Afghanistan since the fall of the American-backed government, but Osama bin Laden’s former security chief, Amin al Haq, who served with bin Laden during the battle of Tora Bora, was seen on video returning to the Afghan province of Nangarhar last month, the Times reported.
Meanwhile, experts have said the Islamic Emirate needs to curb activities by ISIS-K (Daesh) and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in order to gain the trust and confidence of the international community.
Mohammad Sarwar Niazi, an Afghan military expert, said: “The US is familiar with ISIS (Daesh) and from where it comes… how can two religious groups (Daesh and Al-Qaeda) be eliminated? If they (US) wanted to eliminate Daesh they could have done it during their 20 years of presence [in Afghanistan].”
The possibility of a re-emergence of Daesh and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is considered worrying by many analysts, and some have called on the Islamic Emirate to prevent these groups from operating in the country.
"Al-Qaeda and Daesh were created by the United States, and now that the Taliban (Islamic Emirate) have taken over Afghanistan, they are responsible for protecting Afghanistan.
“Unfortunately, the war in Afghanistan was an intelligence war, and now the United States is worried and measures must be taken," said Aziz Meraj, a political analyst.
The Islamic Emirate's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has held a telephone conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, the ministry said in a statement.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, the Ministry's deputy spokesman, stated that during the conversation, Muttaqi congratulated the Syrian government on their success, praised their stance on general amnesty and good governance, and expressed hope for the establishment of regular diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Syria.
Takal added that the Syrian Foreign Minister also expressed hope for the expansion of bilateral ties and for delegations from both sides to meet and engage in discussions.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, has announced that the National Development Corporation (NDC) has successfully built a rail for the first time in Afghanistan.
Previously, Mujahid also revealed that the NDC had produced both a freight truck and a passenger vehicle, further highlighting the corporation's growing role in boosting Afghanistan's industrial capabilities.
In a significant milestone for Afghanistan's infrastructure development, officials from the National Development Corporation (NDC) have announced that the second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal in northern Afghanistan is now 81 percent complete, with the construction of its dam progressing steadily at 67 percent. This ambitious project is poised to transform the region, enhancing irrigation systems and boosting agricultural productivity.
The ongoing work on this irrigation project is taking place in the Andkhoy district of Faryab province, where hundreds of machines are actively involved. NDC officials have confirmed that the second phase of the canal will be completed in the coming months.
Nabiullah Arghandiwal, spokesperson for the NDC, stated, “The second phase of the Qosh Tepa Canal is currently 81 percent complete, with thousands of machines and workers engaged in the project.”
Arghandiwal also highlighted the construction of six large bridges along the canal in Balkh and Jawzjan provinces. Two of the bridges are completed, and the remaining four are expected to be operational soon.
Economic experts believe that once completed, the canal will help Afghanistan achieve self-sufficiency in grain production and generate numerous job opportunities in various sectors.
Young workers involved in the project have expressed their satisfaction with the employment opportunities it provides. They are calling on the government to launch similar development projects to combat youth unemployment.
Abdul Ghani, a worker, remarked, “This project is progressing very well, and I urge the Islamic Emirate to implement similar projects.”
It is important to note that the entire funding for the Qosh Tepa Canal project is sourced from domestic revenue.
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