The World Daily
Al-Qaeda's ties to the Taliban are "much deeper than we think"

Photo:ZumaPress

 

The World Daily | News Desk           MAY  29th   2021

 

Al-Qaeda is being protected by the Taliban in return for expertise in fundraising, training suicide bombers and bomb construction, CNN reports, citing anonymous Afghan officials. In their opinion, al-Qaeda's ties to the Taliban are "now much deeper than we think" because "it is not only an ideological relationship, but also a family bond through mixed marriages."

 

According to Afghan intelligence officials, al-Qaeda continues to grow in Afghanistan and remains connected to its cells around the world. This was confirmed in October 2020, when Afghan security forces killed Abu Muhsin al-Masri (also known as Husam Abd-al-Rauf) in Ghazni province, who was on the FBI's list of the most wanted terrorists. “(Al-Masri) has been in contact with other key Al-Qaeda members around the world. It has run several operational programs,” said the High Representative of Afghan intelligence. "His area was very well protected by the Taliban," he added.

According to Afghan intelligence officials, al-Qaeda's ties to the Taliban are "now much deeper than we think" because "it is not only an ideological relationship, but also a family bond through mixed marriages." Another interlocutor suggested that the group would need around 18 months to launch attacks in the West, and could launch attacks from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

 

Taliban spokesman: war after war - it is against our interests

According to CNN, information about Al-Qaeda's links in Afghanistan with cells around the world could harm the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, who plans to end the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, arguing that the country no longer poses a threat to U.S. citizens.

The Taliban pledge not to cooperate with or shelter the terrorists was key to the peace deal signed last year under Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. However, one Afghan intelligence official said the Trump administration's promise of peace "was like a joke and (both parties) knew it would not happen."

Taliban spokesman in Qatar Doha, Suhail Shaheen, told CNN that the allegations were "untrue" and that the Kabul government has been keen for 20 years to "create a sense of danger that foreign forces remain (in Afghanistan - ed.)" Shaheen noted that if the Taliban allow Afghanistan to be used to attack the United States or its allies, "we will create problems for ourselves and there will be no peace in Afghanistan." "War after war - it is against our interest," he assessed. 

 

"Al-Qaeda is gaining momentum in Afghanistan by continuing to cooperate with the Taliban under their protection."

A report by the US Ministry of Finance, published in early January 2021, stated that al-Qaeda "is gaining strength in Afghanistan by continuing to cooperate with the Taliban under their protection." The UN report, released in February, states in turn that "the killing of several al-Qaeda commanders (including Al-Masri - ed.) In Taliban-controlled territory confirms how close the two groups are." In a statement received by CNN in late April, two al-Qaeda officials said that "the war against the United States will continue on all other fronts unless (the United States) is kicked out of the rest of the Islamic world."

As CNN points out, the American administration has been accused more than once of pumping a sense of threat to obtain more funding for armaments, or - as recently - of downplaying this problem in connection with the planned withdrawal of troops. 

 

© The World Daily 2021 | News Desk

Source: CNN, Reuters

 

 

Categories:
World
Tags:
al-QaedaAfghanistanConflicts