Part 9/13:
Despite official US proclamations of “defeating” al-Qaeda, recent reports from the UN Security Council reveal a different picture. In Afghanistan’s remaining provinces, al-Qaeda maintains training camps, weapons depots, and logistical nodes. Studies document the use of American weapons seized from Afghan military stockpiles, and reports estimate that al-Qaeda’s presence persists in at least 24 out of 34 provinces.
Furthermore, al-Qaeda’s strategists have adapted: they now advice the Taliban, encourage the establishment of emirates, and work to deepen their influence across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Their long-term plan isn’t just local terror but the reestablishment of a caliphate, with Afghanistan as its core.