RASC News Agency: General Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army and a senior military analyst, has issued a grave warning regarding the resurgence of transnational terrorism in Afghanistan, describing the threat as “unprecedented and profoundly serious. ”In a keynote address delivered Monday at the Hudson Institute, General Keane argued that the Taliban’s return to power has created a permissive environment for terrorist networks to re-establish themselves. He noted that Afghanistan’s current security conditions have deteriorated significantly compared to the pre-withdrawal period. “The hasty and unconditional withdrawal of U.S. forces not only facilitated the revival of al-Qaeda and ISIS,” he said, “but also eroded America’s global credibility and strategic leverage.”
Keane sharply criticized the Biden administration’s decision to execute a full military pullout, emphasizing that the move was made against the advice of senior military leadership. “Commanders on the ground strongly opposed the withdrawal,” he revealed. “They believed, rightly, that such a decision would clear the path for terrorist elements to regain a foothold in the region.” Drawing a contrast with ongoing U.S. counterterrorism deployments in Syria and Africa, Keane described the decision to abandon Afghanistan despite a far higher threat level as “strategically indefensible.” He argued, “Maintaining a residual force in Afghanistan would have been a prudent measure, especially given the elevated risk posed by ISIS-K and the reconstituted al-Qaeda networks now operating under Taliban protection.”
The retired general also called for a recalibrated U.S. strategy that includes renewed cooperation with the National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan. He described the NRF as “a resilient and principled movement” that previously collaborated with U.S. forces in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and continues to resist the Taliban’s authoritarian rule. “Decades ago, the United States stood alongside Afghanistani mujahideen in their fight against Soviet occupation,” Keane noted. “That history of solidarity must be honored and renewed today. The NRF deserves comprehensive support not only for their military resistance but also for their vision of a pluralistic and democratic Afghanistan.”
General Keane’s remarks come amid growing international concern that Afghanistan, under Taliban control, is once again becoming a sanctuary for global terrorist organizations. He warned that the Taliban’s ideological alignment with extremist networks and their consistent violations of human rights and international norms make them an unreliable and dangerous actor on the world stage. “The international community must not fall into the trap of legitimizing the Taliban,” Keane urged. “Instead, democratic nations must strengthen alliances with Afghanistani actors who are committed to stability, human rights, and counterterrorism. Abandoning the Afghanistani people now would be not only a strategic failure but a moral one.”
