Al Qaeda promises a ‘war on all fronts’ against the United States

(CNN) – This weekend marks the first 10th anniversary Osama bin Laden, The mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, was killed by US Special Forces SEAL Team 6, inside their high-walled campus at the Pakistan Military University in Abbottabad.

His name and his terrorist network Al Qaeda came to define the era of American reaction and retaliation, which obscured any previous counter-terrorism policy.

The “war on terror” of the United States is about to enter a new phase as president Joe Biden prepares to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, but now Al Qaeda says its war against the United States is not over.

In an exclusive interview with CNN through intermediaries, an Al Qaeda official told CNN that “the war against the United States will continue on all other fronts unless it is expelled from the rest of the Islamic world.”

In the past, Al Qaeda has rarely answered questions, instead choosing to hide behind its self-service campaign, leading to even the most far-reaching investigation. It is not clear why the panel has now decided to answer the questions.

Terrorist analyst Paul Krookshank, editor-in-chief of the West Point CDC Sentinel, which reviewed Al Qaeda’s response, said: Many recent losses. ‘

America’s longest war is coming to an end

Today, the terrorist group that once roared before the world’s attention has been reduced to a loud, but it is far from dead. Now he says he plans to return after US forces leave Afghanistan and rejoin the Taliban.

In response to CNN, an Al Qaeda spokesman praised the Taliban for keeping the fight against the United States alive. “Thanks to the Afghans who protected the comrades in arms, many of those jihadi extremists have been operating successfully in various parts of the Islamic world for a long time,” the spokesman said.

By September 11 of this year, President Biden will declare that the longest-running US war aimed at neutralizing the terrorist group will be formally declared: “Bin Laden is dead, Al Qaeda has been denigrated in Afghanistan. It is time to end the Eternal War.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken acknowledged earlier this month that he had told the ABC “this week”: “We went to Afghanistan 20 years ago, we went because we were attacked on September 11, we went to confront those who attacked us on September 11. To ensure that it does not become a haven for terrorism against its allies, “said Blingen. “We achieved the goals we set for ourselves.”

It is possible that the February 2020 agreement with the Afghan Taliban, which the group promised to sever ties with Al Qaeda that led to the US occupation of Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Through press intermediaries, CNN correspondent Salim Mehsud approached Al Qaeda to find out their reaction to Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, and instead of ignoring him as they have done many times in the past, they responded to the delegates.

His response was that the Taliban were not honest with the Biden administration and that the reduction of US troops could be based on a fraud.

CNN approached the Taliban about their relationship with Al Qaeda, but they did not respond, and Al Qaeda’s response to CNN became a meaningful idea of ​​what would happen after the withdrawal of US troops.

Peter Bergen, CNN’s terrorist expert and author of several books on Osama bin Laden, read Al Qaeda’s response to CNN and called it “real.”

Bergen points to another part of Al Qaeda’s response, highlighting its continued ties to the Taliban, in which he said: [los talibanes paquistaníes] And the AQ has Islamic Brotherhood ties that remain the same, and the same applies to the Afghan Taliban.

“This confirms the UN’s claim that the Taliban” consulted with Al Qaeda during its negotiations with the United States, “while assuring them that they” respect their historic ties “with the terrorist group.

Somewhat vaguely, Al Qaeda is not saying it is interested in using Afghanistan as a starting point for future attacks because it is no longer needed. “I do not need Afghanistan, I have no such intention in the future,” the panel said. However, as Krukshank points out, “declaring the intent of an anonymous operator is not bound to the committee.”

Terrorist group ISIS

In response to CNN, Al Qaeda declares Afghanistan a victory. Draw “Americans are now defeated” and parallel the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from the country three decades ago and its subsequent collapse: “The American war in Afghanistan played a major role in the impact of the US economy.”

That line echoes bin Laden’s rhetoric that promoted the very simple idea that the Soviets were ruined in Afghanistan. The cost of the U.S. war on terror ran into the billions, but the September 11 attacks did not cause the US economic collapse. Al Qaeda has admitted sending most of its key fighters to Syria, acknowledging that “some of them have been martyred in recent years.”

He acknowledged that bin Laden’s death had weakened al Qaeda at the hands of SEAL Team 6, allowing the most blunt Islamist group, ISIS (Dash), to establish itself. “They benefited from the sacrifices of Sheikh Osama, Sheikh Adiyahullah, Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Libi (may God have mercy on them) and many others.”

In recent years, atrocities and attacks ISIS Inspired by Europe and practically hiding Al Qaeda. But the latter presents it as a ‘tactical silence’, referring to it as ‘not broken’ and instead waging a long war with ‘different positions’.

The current leader of Al Qaeda, the less charismatic Ayman al-Zawahiri lives in an almost virtual presence, only heard in rare propaganda statements. However, the group still sees itself as a leader for other jihadists. Al Qaeda owners operate in Yemen, Syria, Somalia and North Africa.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of Al Qaeda in 2012.

Responding to CNN about his role in Pakistan and Afghanistan, he says he “planned” the 2009 attack that killed seven CIA agents at his base near Ghost in Afghanistan. He said the DTP, which was known to be involved in the attack by the Pakistani Taliban at the time, was a junior partner and “they made a lot of mistakes because it was in its learning phase”.

Bergen says: ‘This applies to documents [de bin Laden] In Abbottabad, Al Qaeda leaders consider the TTP to be the youngest partner they can command (al Qaeda is a relatively small organization and, albeit a large TTP, relatively speaking).

Biden appears to be aware of the Taliban’s doubling and potential for Al Qaeda’s spread, and said in a speech to Congress on Wednesday that “we will keep on the horizon the ability to suppress future threats to the homeland.”

“But make no mistake, the terrorist threat has been growing beyond Afghanistan since 2001. We will remain vigilant for threats to the United States wherever they come from. Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Africa and the Middle East and beyond.

Afghanistan may once again be independent of Al Qaeda

Today Al Qaeda is proud of its influence over the TTP. “Now the Pakistani Taliban organization and leadership are not only progressing in the light of Sharia, but also making the best decisions based on past experiences and recent successes thanks to the same unity and adherence to Sharia and wisdom.”

It is not clear if this is a reference The first major DTP attack in years, in which a hotel where the Chinese ambassador was said to be staying in Quetta was attacked. In the last week. Pakistani security officials say CNN has no Chinese ambassador target, but points out that Al Qaeda is gaining strength again.

According to the panel, if the Taliban are close to Al Qaeda, the UN estimates that Al Qaeda’s 2,000 word contact with CNN is closer to provoking the Taliban than it is to being partners in a ceasefire agreement, as it has always been in the war against the United States.

Al Qaeda makes it clear that the country that was once its base for planning the worst attack on American soil in history is free to use it again. “The United States is not an issue for our Afghan brothers, but the Americans are now defeated because they made sacrifices in the Afghan war. Whether they are Republicans or Democrats, both have made the final decision to withdraw from the Afghan war.

If the Taliban keep their promises to Biden, this is all an Al Qaeda campaign, but if they do not, all the challenges to the future threat they pose are muted.