John Bolton, the former U.S. National Security Advisor, has warned that foreign “terrorist fighters” have returned to Afghanistan under Taliban rule, launching attacks in Europe and the Middle East. Bolton, a staunch critic of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, described the situation as increasingly dangerous.
“Foreign terrorist fighters have returned to Afghanistan and are now launching terrorist attacks in Europe and the Middle East. Just this past weekend, they attempted an attack at three Taylor Swift concerts,” Bolton said in an interview with Newsmax.
Bolton, who also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, criticized the Trump administration for negotiating the deal that led to the U.S. withdrawal, which he believes the Biden administration “implemented poorly.”
“It was the Trump administration that negotiated this deal with Afghanistan,” Bolton said. “They excluded the legitimate Afghan government and cut a deal with the Taliban when there was no reason whatsoever to expect the Taliban would honor any of their commitments.”
Bolton characterized the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan as “catastrophic,” pointing to the resurgence of terrorist activity as one of its dire consequences. He urged the U.S. government to take a stronger stance against the Taliban.
“We should not be providing any American assistance, directly or indirectly, to the Taliban. While we’re theoretically not doing so, there are reports that we’re still funding agencies that indirectly aid the Taliban, given that our share of a typical U.N. assessed budget is 22%. Congress needs to investigate this further,” Bolton said.
He also claimed that the Taliban is providing sanctuary to terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, posing a significant threat to the country and the broader region.
While the Taliban has denied the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, a recent United Nations report revealed that over 20 terrorist organizations are currently operating within the country under Taliban rule.
