8am: Reports indicate that al-Qaeda is rebuilding its operational capacity inside Afghanistan. While the Taliban and even many global powers deliberately downplay the network’s presence, the reality is that al-Qaeda, working in close coordination with the Taliban, is establishing new bases in strategic and mountainous regions, particularly in Panjshir Province. These developments point to covert security strategies aimed at drawing Asian powers into a new kind of multinational terrorism. Local sources in Panjshir report that al-Qaeda has trained roughly 500 newly recruited fighters, mostly from Arab countries, with some from Somalia, in both military tactics and ideological indoctrination. These recruits speak Arabic and English, and dedicated terrorist training camps have been established for them. Click here to read more (external link).