Taliban victory in Afghanistan could inspire terrorists, armed groups throughout Middle East
There are increasing reports of foreign jihadist fighters in Afghanistan.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Just after Maghreb prayers, tired Afghan police lugging weapons and backpacks clamber up a rocky outpost to serve as lookouts as night falls. Much of the fighting around here is done at night.
The city is the Taliban’s former stronghold and capital where al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden met in 1999 under the former Taliban regime (1996-2001) with Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whose group would later become al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).
At least 95% of US troops have already left Afghanistan and the rest will be out by Aug. 31.
This is in sharp contrast with the more gradual pullout from Iraq where, as one Afghan put it to this journalist, the United States didn’t abruptly yank “the patient (i.e., the country) out of the intensive care unit” before they were ready to stand on their own feet.
