Afghanistan again a terror launchpad 25 years after 9/11, officials warn
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Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, Afghanistan has come full circle as a haven for Al-Qaeda, with the Taliban back in power and UN reports documenting the group's return. Former officials and experts are divided on whether this poses a direct threat to Western capitals, with some warning of a resurgent threat and a 'ticking bomb.'
Key Facts
- The Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in 2021 after a 20-year US-led military presence.
- A December 2025 UN sanctions report described Afghanistan as the 'symbolic homeland' for Al-Qaeda and noted intermarriages between Al-Qaeda and Taliban members.
- The 2020 US-Taliban agreement committed the Taliban to prevent Al-Qaeda and other groups from using Afghan soil to threaten US security.
- Former US diplomat Annie Pforzheimer said Afghanistan has come full circle to where it was before 9/11.
Taliban Return and Al-Qaeda Resurgence
The Taliban retook power in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led international forces under President Joe Biden. Since then, numerous reports by United Nations sanctions teams have documented the return of Al-Qaeda members to Afghanistan. A December 2025 UN report described Afghanistan as the 'symbolic homeland' for the group and noted 'personal relationships and intermarriages' between Al-Qaeda and Taliban members. The 2020 agreement signed during Donald Trump's first term required the Taliban to prevent Al-Qaeda and other groups from using Afghan soil to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.
Expert Assessments of the Threat
Former US diplomat Annie Pforzheimer, who served as deputy head of mission in Kabul in 2017-18, said Afghanistan has come full circle to where it was before 9/11. Pforzheimer stated that Afghanistan is already harboring terrorists with international aspirations, and the next question is whether they will carry out attacks. Some former military, diplomatic, and intelligence officials argued that the situation now is fundamentally different from before 9/11, while others warned of a resurgent threat and a 'ticking bomb.'
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