RASC News Agency: The American foreign policy journal The National Interest has published a new analysis warning that al-Qaeda continues to benefit from operational sanctuary inside Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The article argues that the United States and its allies must move decisively to hold the Taliban accountable for their relationship with the militant network.
Under the 2020 Doha Agreement, the Taliban pledged that Afghanistan’s territory would not be used against the United States or its allies. However, the article contends that evidence accumulated over the past several years suggests those commitments have proven ineffective in practice.
A central example cited is the presence of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former leader of al-Qaeda, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul. According to the analysis, Zawahiri had been residing in a high-profile neighborhood reportedly within the sphere of influence of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister.
For the article’s author, the episode demonstrated that structural ties between the Taliban and al-Qaeda had not been severed and may have persisted at senior leadership levels.
The publication asserts that since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have not meaningfully distanced themselves from al-Qaeda. Instead, it argues, the group has allowed al-Qaeda to maintain what it describes as an “operational safe haven” in Afghanistan.
According to the analysis, any visible constraints imposed on al-Qaeda activities appear motivated more by a desire to avoid renewed U.S. drone strikes than by adherence to international obligations.
The article portrays al-Qaeda as a transnational organization that has not undergone significant ideological transformation and continues to adhere to a violence-centered strategic doctrine.
The analysis also points to Afghanistan’s fragile economy and ongoing diplomatic isolation under Taliban rule. It suggests that these vulnerabilities may offer leverage for the international community to compel compliance with the Doha commitments.
Failing demonstrable progress, the article recommends that Washington and its partners consider alternative political pressure mechanisms targeting Taliban leadership, including Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The article concludes that al-Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan is not merely a legacy issue from the era of U.S. military involvement but remains an active regional and global security concern.
Until the Taliban provide transparent and verifiable proof of severing ties with al-Qaeda, the publication argues, their claims of behavioral change and readiness for international responsibility will continue to face serious skepticism.
