Michael Hughes
August 10, 2024
The Taliban have long represented themselves as a group with a local vision and little to no aspirations of carrying jihad beyond Afghan borders. Putting aside that aligning with al-Qaeda, an international terrorist group, single-handedly undermines this narrative, evidence continues to mount that Afghanistan has become an ideal base for foreign terrorist groups to recruit, train, and launch attacks globally.
Taliban support for terrorist groups and/or inability to counter them has had significant consequences for the region, including attacks in Russia, Iran, and Pakistan. Most countries in the region have either been hit with a terrorist attack or are under direct threat of one. But the U.S. could soon become a target as well.