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What the Taliban’s Victory in Afghanistan Means for Al-Qaeda and ISIS

While the Taliban may insist that times have changed since 9/11, when Afghanistan was a safe haven for Al-Qaeda—and that their connections with Al-Qaeda are no longer the same—there is good reason to treat those assertions skeptically. Given a new sanctuary and oxygen to fuel its recruitment in Afghanistan, it is possible that Al-Qaeda’s “recession” might only be short-lived.  Even if Al-Qaeda has been rendered somewhat toothless in recent years, this appears to have had no measurable impact on its relationship with the Taliban. 

August 25, 2021