8am: One analysis suggests that given the developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, Western powers, especially the U.S., may be seeking to exploit al-Qaeda and other Central Asian militant groups to undermine Russian interests. After the September 11 attacks, the U.S. significantly weakened al-Qaeda and eliminated many of its senior leaders, but it either did not want or could not deliver a blow that would deprive al-Qaeda of its ability to reorganize. Considering that al-Qaeda and similar groups were key allies of the U.S. during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, forming an unofficial alliance against “atheism,” it is not out of the question for such an arrangement to occur again. It is clear that in politics, there are no permanent friendships or enmities. The West has managed to contain Russia on the Ukrainian front, and if the confrontation between Russia and the West intensifies, the West may use extremist religious groups as leverage against Russia. Religious fundamentalist groups have demonstrated that despite their intense anti-Western rhetoric, they are willing to engage with and even serve Western interests at times. The current U.S. engagement with the Taliban could support this claim. Click here to read more (external link).