John Bolton, former U.S. National Security Advisor, has warned that foreign terrorist fighters are making their way back to Afghanistan under the Taliban’s control.
Speaking during a recent debate, Bolton reflected on the 20-year U.S. presence in the country, noting that from the time of the 9/11 attacks until the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, “there was no terrorist attack against the United States from Afghanistan.”
“We went to Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban, defeat al-Qaeda, and prevent future attacks on the U.S.,” Bolton said, pointing to the lack of terror strikes on American soil from Afghanistan during the two decades that followed. He attributed this to the U.S. military presence, which ended in August 2021 following the withdrawal agreement reached by the Trump administration and executed by President Biden.
Bolton further criticized the U.S. exit, describing it as a “catastrophic mistake” and linking it to former President Donald Trump’s push to withdraw American forces. “If we had stayed, the Taliban would not be in charge,” Bolton said, acknowledging that while the former Afghan government was “imperfect,” it was preferable to the current situation.
He also warned that ISIS-K, an affiliate of the Islamic State, retains the capability to carry out attacks against the United States. Bolton cited testimony from the Biden administration acknowledging the group’s ongoing threat, adding that ISIS-K had already launched attacks in countries like Iran and Russia earlier this year.
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, completed in August 2021, coincided with the Taliban’s rapid takeover of the country following the collapse of the former Afghan government.
