Officials: Al-Qaida could threaten in 1-2 years

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Officials: Al-Qaida could threaten in 1-2 years

Associated Press | Tuesday, September 14, 2021 2:53 p.m.

Taliban fighters escort women march in support of the Taliban government outside Kabul University, Afghanistan, on Saturday.

WASHINGTON — American intelligence officials say al-Qaida could begin to threaten the homeland from Afghanistan within one to two years, echoing warnings that were issued prior to the U.S. withdrawal ending its 20-year war.

Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, who leads the Defense Intelligence Agency, gave that estimated timeframe Tuesday while speaking at the Intelligence & National Security Summit.

David Cohen, deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said the U.S. already had detected “some of the indications of some potential movement of al-Qaida to Afghanistan.”

Experts have long said the Taliban still maintains ties to al-Qaida, which took sanctuary in Afghanistan prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Counterterrorism experts estimated prior to the withdrawal that al-Qaida had several hundred fighters in Afghanistan.

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