<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> officials are reportedly walking back claims that they made earlier this month when they claimed that they had killed a major figure in the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda.
The move by U.S. officials comes after the slain man&#8217;s family and others who knew him claimed that the father of 10, a former bricklayer, had no ties to terrorism and was tending to his sheep when he was hit by a Hellfire missile in Syria.
U.S. officials claimed shortly after the strike that the Predator drone had taken out a “senior Al Qaeda leader” — even though they did not provide proof or name the suspect.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/18/pentagon-drone-strike-syria-civilian-al-qaeda/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=wp_main" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that 56-year-old Lotfi Hassan Misto was the person killed in the strike.
“We are no longer confident we killed a senior AQ official,” a U.S. official told the Post.
Another U.S. official added, “though we believe the strike did not kill the original target, we believe the person to be al-Qaeda.”
The Pentagon has been tight lipped about the strike and has not released any information about who their target was, if the target escaped, and what information they had indicating that Misto was an al-Qaeda terrorist.
“Centcom takes all such allegations seriously and is investigating to determine whether or not the action may have unintentionally resulted in harm to civilians,” said Michael Lawhorn, a spokesman for Central Command.
The incident is reminiscent of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-centcom-issues-new-statement-on-strike-against-isis-target-we-are-investigating-further">drone strike</a> the Biden administration made in August 2021 during President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous pullout from Afghanistan where the administration claimed to have &#8220;conducted a self-defense unmanned over-the-horizon airstrike today on a vehicle in Kabul, eliminating an imminent ISIS-K threat to Hamad Karzai International airport.&#8221;
&#8220;We are confident we successfully hit the target,&#8221; the administration claimed. &#8220;Significant secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material.&#8221;
However, the administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-pentagon-confirms-children-killed-in-drone-strike-in-afghanistan">admitted</a> a couple of weeks later that the drone strike was a tragic mistake that killed 10 civilians, including seven children.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Drohne, Predator B U.S. Army ILA Berlin-Schoenefeld Deutschland

Biden Admin Walks Back Claim That It Killed Major Al-Qaeda Figure In Airstrike, Killed Father Of 10: Report

Al Qaeda

Biden Administration

Executive

Global Politics

World

The Biden administration on Thursday <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-guantanamo-detainee-majid-khan-transferred-belize-rcna68166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resettled a terrorist</a> from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who served as a direct subordinate to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Al Qaeda terrorist who was the principal architect of the  September 11, 2001, attacks.
Majid Khan was sent to Belize; he is the first detainee resettled by the Biden administration. He joined Al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks and was later arrested in Karachi in March 2003. After he was captured, he <a href="https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/terrorism/majid-khan-the-terrorist-who-gave-the-cia-information-that-broke-up-the-west-coast-plot-is-charged-at-guantanamo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed information</a> about an Al Qaeda plot to hijack an airplane and fly it into the Library Tower in Los Angeles, the tallest building on the West Coast at the time. In 2012, Khan was charged with conspiracy, murder, and attempted murder in violation of the law of war, providing material support for terrorism, and spying. He pled guilty in February 2012 to conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attempted murder in violation of the law of war, providing material support for terrorism, and spying and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In June 2022, Khan’s lawyers filed a petition to force the Biden administration to release him as his sentence had ended in March 2022, claiming any place but his native Pakistan would be acceptable, <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/Majid-Khan-post-sentence-habeas/60d6b3ad864a0f48/full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> that because he had cooperated with the American government the “risk of harm is so great that Petitioner can never return to Pakistan where he would face persecution.”
“Petitioner has repeatedly, publicly expressed regret for his actions, apologized to the victims of his offenses and their families, and explained his decision to cooperate with U.S. authorities against Al Qaeda for more than a decade as an effort to atone for his offenses,” the petition stated.
“In October 2021, after a sentencing hearing at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a panel of military officers sitting as a military commission sentenced Mr. Khan to 26 years of confinement,” the U.S. Defense Department <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2964357/convening-authority-takes-action-on-sentence-in-us-v-majid-khan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. “The panel also recommended Mr. Khan receive clemency.”
A senior State Department official commented on the willingness of Belize to accept Khan, saying, “This is a political ask. Belize was a great choice because, ultimately, we have a lot of things to do with them. &#8230; They asked all the right questions when this process started,” and did a “terrific job of trying to evaluate” whether they were making the correct decision.
“We are very satisfied the things we asked of them they can do and will do,” the official concluded.

Guantanamo Bay Airplane

Biden Administration Resettles Al Qaeda Terrorist Who Was Direct Subordinate To 9/11 Mastermind

9/11

Guantanamo Bay

U.S.

Have America&#8217;s enemies ever had a better friend than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a>?
The Chinese Communist Party, the drug cartels of Mexico, the Taliban, and a villain nicknamed the &#8220;Merchant of Death&#8221; — among others — have all received handouts, half-hearted condemnations, and diplomatic hugs from the Biden gang.
Most recently, it would appear that the United States was manhandled by Russia into releasing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-star-brittney-griner-freed-from-russian-prison-in-swap-for-arms-dealer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Viktor Bout</a> — an arms dealer accused of selling weapons to Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other nefarious groups all over the world. In exchange, the U.S. received WNBA star Britney Griner – an apparent pothead who detests America&#8217;s national anthem — who was arrested in Russia last February.
U.S. Marine Paul Whelan remains in captivity. Why did Griner get released? It seems that was all Ol&#8217; Vladdy Putin offered, but the White House press secretary was sure to mention that Griner&#8217;s release was important because she is a &#8220;role model and inspiration to millions of Americans, particularly the LGBTQI+ Americans and women of color.&#8221;
Much ink has been spilled over the lopsided trade, but Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrat-senator-blasts-biden-over-releasing-terrorist-for-griner-deeply-disturbing-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">perhaps put it best</a> by describing it as a &#8220;deeply disturbing decision&#8221; and an invitation for &#8220;dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans overseas as bargaining chips.&#8221;
Now there&#8217;s a concern from some in the Defense Department that Bout <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/pentagon-merchant-death-viktor-bout-arms-trafficking-brittney-griner-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could return</a> to his former proclivities. No duh.
Griner will likely go back to smoking pot. Meanwhile, Russian propagandists will <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1601274662620581888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continue laughing</a>.
Then there&#8217;s the Chinese Communist Party.
They have skated free of any blame for COVID while the Biden administration has refused to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-releases-tepid-statement-on-protests-in-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forcefully condemn</a> their zero COVID policy, which — when applied — turns into total tyranny. The president&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-kerry-blames-recent-covid-bout-for-failed-climate-change-talks-with-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate envoy John Kerry</a> has also largely been ignored by the Red Dragon. America&#8217;s energy industry is suffering while China barrels full steam ahead.
No surprise there though, even before getting into office Biden was saying China wasn&#8217;t &#8220;competition&#8221; for the U.S. He was only half-correct: They aren&#8217;t our competitor — they are our<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/china-the-enemy-within" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> foremost adversar</a>y.
The folks in Washington have also removed sanctions on Venezuela — a socialist country historically not-so-keen on America. Socialist oil is fine, but American produced? No bueno for Biden.
Drug cartels have also found prosperity under this administration. The Biden administration&#8217;s decision to dismantle former President Donald J. Trump&#8217;s illegal immigration policy has resulted in the invasion we now see at the border.
With the flood of illegal aliens has come copious amounts of drugs — especially the all-too-deadly fentanyl which has killed Americans by the hundreds of thousands over the last few years.
The result has been called a &#8220;<a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/sep/27/20-billion-payday-joe-bidens-border-surge-sends-sm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$20 billion payday</a>&#8221; for these thugs below the border.
The crisis also benefits China — which often makes the synthetic version of the narcotic before it gets shipped to Mexico where it is made into its final form. The U.S. has had some success in slowing down such fatalities — but that’s in spite of Biden’s border policies — not because of them.
Congressman David Trone (D-MD) recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-important-things-going-on-biden-spits-in-the-face-of-every-american-with-latest-excuse-for-not-visiting-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NPR, “Our success right now on slowing or stopping the movement of fentanyl across the border is close to zero. We are failing because we have two partners, China and Mexico, who have chosen not to participate in any meaningful way to help us.”
Even in that analysis from a Democratic congressman, China is referred to as America&#8217;s &#8220;partner&#8221; — not our enemy.
Now, let&#8217;s get to the Taliban.
Critics argue that Trump treated those jihadists pretty well by negotiating the withdrawal of U.S. troops and <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trump-5000-taliban-brittany-griner-biden-prisoner-deal-1765859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allegedly releasing 5,000</a> Taliban members. The president denies it was that cut and dry.
Regardless of what happened, it doesn&#8217;t explain why Biden botched America&#8217;s departure from the country so badly. The military left behind billions in equipment, stranded Americans, and allowed in hundreds — if not thousands — of under-vetted or unvetted Afghans. Thirteen Americans were killed because of how it was handled.
Ending the &#8220;forever war&#8221; might have been the right thing to do, but why wouldn&#8217;t Biden destroy the military equipment and evacuate American allies and U.S. citizens before leaving?
On top of that, a recent Pentagon <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-fumbled-afghanistan-withdrawal-propaganda-gift-china-defense-department-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report confirmed</a> that the calamity was used by the Chinese to &#8220;erode U.S. and partner influence.&#8221; Other <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/international-disorder-biden-is-a-remarkably-bad-negotiator-and-doesnt-understand-how-the-world-works" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> indicate that the disaster also provided Putin with all the evidence he needed that an attack on Ukraine would be wise — given the dunce in the Oval Office.
So far, this writing has featured all foreign enemies.
We haven&#8217;t even discussed the domestic enemies seeking a &#8220;total transformation&#8221; of government based on equity and the principles of critical race theory — which teaches that we need to dismantle and abolish America as we know it. Nor have we gone into the alleged &#8220;Big Guy&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/news-outlets-expose-themselves-as-tech-illiterate-by-taking-years-to-authenticate-hunters-laptop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kickback scheme</a> between the president&#8217;s struggling artist son and his Chinese business partners.
We&#8217;ll get to those items in a later column. We&#8217;re only two years into a Biden presidency, so we have some time — unfortunately.
For now, readers should remember that there is an old quote attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, &#8220;Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?&#8221;
Somehow it doesn&#8217;t seem likely that Lincoln was referring to how Biden treats America&#8217;s opposition thus far.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden

America’s Enemies Have A Best Friend In Biden

America's Enemies Have A Best Friend In Biden

China

Drug Cartels

Foreign Policy

Illegal Immigration

Taliban

The U.S. State Department issued a &#8220;worldwide&#8221; caution alert for Americans Tuesday evening, warning that the likelihood that terrorists will strike U.S. interests has increased after the CIA killed Ayman Al Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s deputy and successor as leader of al-Qaeda.
&#8220;Following al-Zawahiri’s death, supporters of Al Qaeda, or its affiliated terrorist organizations, may seek to attack U.S. facilities, personnel, or citizens,&#8221; the alert said. &#8220;As terrorist attacks often occur without warning, U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad.&#8221;
The State Department said that it has reason to believe that the threat level to U.S. citizens is now &#8220;higher&#8221; after the drone strike terminated Al Zawahiri.
The warning said that Americans needed to be alert for the possibility of suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, and bombings.
The advisory urged Americans to actively monitor local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Terrorism experts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrorism-experts-quickly-note-major-problem-as-biden-celebrates-cia-killing-al-qaeda-leader">quickly downplayed</a> Democrat President Joe Biden&#8217;s attempt to count the killing of Al Zawahiri in Afghanistan as a win for his administration, noting the fact that Al-Zawahiri having been in Afghanistan at all means that the terrorist group has returned to the country where they planned the 9/11 attacks.
During the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan last year, Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/20/remarks-by-president-biden-on-evacuations-in-afghanistan/">declared</a> that al-Qaeda was “gone” from Afghanistan.
“The killing of Al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri will be sold as a counterterrorism success. But that narrative masks the undeniable truth that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a safe have for Al Qaeda,” Bill Roggio, terrorism analyst at the Long War Journal, <a href="https://twitter.com/billroggio/status/1554266397836025856">tweeted</a>. “The strike that killed Zawahiri is the first since the U.S withdrawal 1+ months ago. The U.S. saved best for first, and made the first counterterrorism strike count.”
“Zawahiri was killed in the Sherpur neighborhood, in a home run by a deputy of Sirajuddin Haqqani. Sirajuddin is of course one of two deputy Taliban emirs as well as the interior minister,” he continued. “Zawahiri could not operate in Afghanistan – particularly in Kabul – without the consent of the Taliban. He wasn’t in the remote mountains of Kunar, Nuristan, or Nangarhar, or distant provinces of Ghazni, Helmand, or Kandahar. He was in the Taliban’s capital.”
Max Abrahms, an International Security professor, said that killing Al Zawahiri was not “the categorical win Biden says.”
“The Taliban was supposed to prevent Al Qaeda leaders from hiding out there for goodness sake,” Abrahms added.
“There was a reason that Ayman al-Zawahiri was in Kabul,” said Tim Kennedy, a former special forces operator. “Serving as the #2 to Bin Laden in al Qaeda he took advantage of our failed evacuation of Afghanistan and the power vacuum. It is a safe haven for terrorists all around the world. This is a byproduct of what we created.”

TOPSHOT-AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT

U.S. Issues Alert Warning Of Danger For Americans ‘Worldwide’

Osama bin Laden

State Department

Terrorism

On the day that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Biden administration</a> completed the disastrous U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taliban">Taliban</a> had pledged to bar terrorist groups from using the war torn nation as a base.
Now he <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/blinken-taliban-grossly-violated-doha-agreement-by-sheltering-al-qaeda-leader/">admits</a> that they lied.
Following the announcement Monday that the U.S. had killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul, Blinken <a href="https://twitter.com/RobbieGramer/status/1554438323975888901">confessed</a> that the Taliban “grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries.”
It was an about-face from just under a year ago, when on August 30, 2021, the day that the U.S. completed its flawed evacuation, Blinken touted the terror group&#8217;s promise.
“The Taliban has made a commitment to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base for external operations that could threaten the United States or our allies, including al-Qaida and the Taliban’s sworn enemy, ISIS-K,&#8221; Blinken said.
Blinken insisted that the Biden administration would “hold them accountable to that commitment,” adding, “But while we have expectations of the Taliban, that doesn’t mean we will rely on the Taliban.  We’ll remain vigilant in monitoring threats ourselves.”
On Monday, Blinken seemed to realize the Islamist regime that returned to power after outlasting the U.S. in a two-decade war can&#8217;t be taken at its word.
“In the face of the Taliban’s unwillingness or inability to abide by their commitments, we will continue to support the Afghan people with robust humanitarian assistance and to advocate for the protection of their human rights, especially of women and girls,” Blinken stated on Monday.
Zawahiri, the 71-year-old Egyptian who took the reins of al-Qaeda after Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in a raid on his Pakistan compound in 2011, was in a warehouse in downtown Kabul when he was killed Saturday. Zawahiri had stepped out on the balcony when he was hit by two R9X Hellfire missiles, a non-explosive drone nicknamed the “flying Ginsu” which has six spinning blades that slice through walls or roofs to destroy its target, according to a <a class="link " href="https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2021/08/26/the-telltale-traces-of-the-us-militarys-new-bladed-missile-r9x/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-ylk="slk:Bellingcat review of the weapon" data-rapid_p="25" data-v9y="1">Bellingcat review of the weapon</a>.
Senior Taliban figures knew Zawahiri was in the area, an official told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/politics/joe-biden-counter-terrorism/index.html">CNN</a>, in &#8220;clear violation of the Doha agreement.&#8221; They even tried to hide his presence after the strike, closing off the safe house and moving members of his family, including his daughter and her children, who were unharmed. The U.S. did not alert Taliban officials ahead of Saturday&#8217;s strike.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken press encounter at General

As U.S. Left Afghanistan, Blinken Said Taliban Vowed To Bar Terrorist Groups. Now He Admits They Lied.

Afghanistan

Antony Blinken

Terrorism experts quickly downplayed Democrat President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&#8216;s attempts to count the CIA&#8217;s killing of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/al-qaeda">Al Qaeda</a> Ayman Al-Zawahiri in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> as a win for his administration, noting the fact that Al-Zawahiri was in Afghanistan at all means that the terrorist group has returned to the country where they planned the 9/11 attacks.
During the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan last year, Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/08/20/remarks-by-president-biden-on-evacuations-in-afghanistan/">declared</a> that Al Qaeda was &#8220;gone&#8221; from Afghanistan.
On Monday night, Biden declared that &#8220;justice has been delivered&#8221; and that he would hunt down and kill anyone who was a threat to the U.S.
However, terrorism and national security experts quickly pumped the brakes on celebrating Al-Zawahiri&#8217;s death as a major win because of what it meant: Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan.
&#8220;The killing of Al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri will be sold as a counterterrorism success. But that narrative masks the undeniable truth that Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a safe have for Al Qaeda,&#8221; Bill Roggio, terrorism analyst at the Long War Journal, <a href="https://twitter.com/billroggio/status/1554266397836025856">tweeted</a>. &#8220;The strike that killed Zawahiri is the first since the U.S withdrawal 1+ months ago. The U.S. saved best for first, and made the first counterterrorism strike count.&#8221;
&#8220;Zawahiri was killed in the Sherpur neighborhood, in a home run by a deputy of Sirajuddin Haqqani. Sirajuddin is of course one of two deputy Taliban emirs as well as the interior minister,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Zawahiri could not operate in Afghanistan &#8211; particularly in Kabul &#8211; without the consent of the Taliban. He wasn&#8217;t in the remote mountains of Kunar, Nuristan, or Nangarhar, or distant provinces of Ghazni, Helmand, or Kandahar. He was in the Taliban&#8217;s capital.&#8221;
Max Abrahms, an International security professor, said that killing Al Zawahiri was not &#8220;the categorical win Biden says.&#8221;
&#8220;The Taliban was supposed to prevent Al Qaeda leaders from hiding out there for goodness sake,&#8221; Abrahms added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Taking out <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Zawahiri?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Zawahiri</a> isn’t the categorical win Biden says. The Taliban was supposed to prevent Al Qaeda leaders from hiding out there for goodness sake.
&mdash; Max Abrahms (@MaxAbrahms) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxAbrahms/status/1554252573351333889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rita Katz, Director of SITE Intelligence Group, <a href="https://twitter.com/Rita_Katz/status/1554264572160352257">noted</a>: &#8220;That Zawahiri, after years of hiding and immense OPSEC, was killed on a balcony in a wealthy downtown neighborhood of Kabul&#8211;it just shows what a drastic sense of empowerment al-Qaeda leadership has felt under Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.&#8221;
&#8220;There was a reason that Ayman al-Zawahiri was in Kabul,&#8221; said Tim Kennedy, a former special forces operator. &#8220;Serving as the #2 to Bin Laden in al Qaeda he took advantage of our failed evacuation of Afghanistan and the power vacuum. It is a safe haven for terrorists all around the world. This is a byproduct of what we created.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
There was a reason that Ayman al-Zawahiri was in Kabul. Serving as the #2 to Bin Laden in al Qaeda he took advantage of our failed evacuation of Afghanistan and the power vacuum. It is a safe haven for terrorists all around the world. This is a byproduct of what we created.
&mdash; Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimKennedyMMA/status/1554265102232215552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President Biden Delivers Remarks On Successful Counterterrorism Operation

Terrorism Experts Quickly Note Major Problem As Biden Celebrates CIA Killing Al Qaeda Leader

A CIA drone strike in Afghanistan was successful in killing Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who has led the Islamic terrorist group ever since U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, according to reports.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier confirmed the news live on air Monday afternoon. He added that intelligence sources said that this was a big win for the U.S.
The Washington Post and Associated Press later confirmed the news of Al-Zawahiri&#8217;s death.
A senior administration official told reporters that “over the weekend, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant Al Qaeda target in Afghanistan.”
“The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties,” the official added.
Al-Zawahiri, who was one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, oversaw the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.
Some experts believed that Al-Zawahiri was killed during an operation in November 2020 but a recent United Nations report from a few weeks ago said that he was “confirmed to be alive” and was “communicating freely.”
“Member States note that al-Zawahiri’s apparent increased comfort and ability to communicate has coincided with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the consolidation of power of key [Al Qaeda] allies within their de facto administration,” the report said.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan following Democrat President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous withdraw from the country last year.
The next in line the of succession is Saif al Adel, a longtime Al Qaeda leader and veteran, followed by &#8220;Abdal-Rahman al-Maghrebi, Yazid Mebrak, the emir of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and Ahmed Diriye, the leader of Shabaab, which is Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa,&#8221; the Long War Journal <a href="https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2022/07/ayman-al-zawahiri-is-alive-taliban-and-al-qaeda-remain-close-un-reports.php">reported</a>.
Al-Zawahiri was an Egyptian physician who later started the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), which sought to overthrow the government and later merged with Al Qaeda in 1998.
An FBI most wanted <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists/ayman-al-zawahiri/download.pdf">bulletin</a> of Al-Zawahiri noted that he had been indicted for his alleged role in the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Osama bin Laden Interviewed

U.S. Intel Kills Leader Of Al Qaeda Who Took Over After Bin Laden, Reports Say

The Islamic extremist group <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=al+qaudea+dialy+wire&amp;rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS998US998&amp;oq=al+qaudea+dialy+wire&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l4.2367j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">al-Qaeda</a> is surging again, thanks in part to the Taliban&#8217;s takeover of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>.
On Tuesday, Voice of America <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/al-qaida-positioned-to-surpass-islamic-state-among-jihadis-/6665672.html">reported</a> that al-Qaeda is now better positioned than the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/radical-islamic-terror">Islamic State</a> to spread propaganda and recruit members since President Joe Biden withdrew American troops from the country in 2021, according to a United Nations report. The report, released on July 15, claims that high-ranking Al-Qaeda officials are bolstered by the Taliban&#8217;s dominance in the Middle Eastern nation.
&#8220;Al-Qaida senior leadership enjoyed a more settled period in early 2022,&#8221; the U.N. <a href="https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/394/29/PDF/N2239429.pdf">said</a> in the report. &#8220;Aiman Muhammed Rabi al-Zawahiri issued regular video messages that provided almost current proof of life. Member States note that al-Zawahiri’s apparent increased comfort and ability to communicate has coincided with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the consolidation of power of key Al-Qaida allies within their de facto administration.&#8221;
However, the U.N. also speculates that — for now — al-Qaeda does not present a global threat.
&#8220;Al-Qaida is not viewed as posing an immediate international threat from its safe haven in Afghanistan because it lacks an external operational capability and does not currently wish to cause the Taliban international difficulty or embarrassment,&#8221; the report added.
Still, though, the group is able to expand its recruiting and communications capability.
&#8220;The international context is favorable to al-Qaida, which intends to be recognized again as the leader of global jihad,&#8221; the U.N. <a href="https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/394/29/PDF/N2239429.pdf">added</a>.
&#8220;Al-Qaida propaganda is now better developed to compete with ISIL as the key actor in inspiring the international threat environment, and it may ultimately become a greater source of directed threat,&#8221; the report added.
It also noted that the Islamic State &#8220;has suffered a rapid succession of leadership losses since October 2019, with an as yet unknown impact on its operational health.&#8221;
In August 2021, President Biden withdrew U.S. troops from Afghanistan after more than 20 years of fighting. Within three days, the Taliban took over the nation after the Afghan government fell. Biden claimed that intelligence officials did not know that the Taliban would take over as quickly as it did.
One expert at the American Enterprise Insitute (AEI) told VOA News that al-Qaeda&#8217;s leadership is just as experienced as Osama bin Laden and previous terrorists who directed the 9/11 attacks.
&#8220;Even after 20 years, some of al-Qaida&#8217;s most senior operatives remain at large and are ready to carry on the mantle of jihad,&#8221; AEI&#8217;s Katherine Zimmerman told the media outlet.
&#8220;Al-Qaida&#8217;s bench remains deep even after serious attrition,&#8221; she added. &#8220;The next generation has now been fighting for 20 years … they are just as experienced (and perhaps with lessons-learned) as OBL [Osama bin Laden], Zawahiri, and Saif al Adel were on 9/11.&#8221;
Now, sources from the National Security Council (NSC)<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-working-hard-to-not-do-anything-stupid-during-afghanistan-withdrawal-anniversary-report"> recently told</a> NBC News that the Biden administration’s goal is to avoid doing anything “stupid” before, during, and after the August anniversary.
As the one-year mark approaches, officials across the administration have searched and filtered through calendars of all top officials to weed out any events or engagements that could be misconstrued as “tone deaf” about the botched foreign policy strategy, according to NBC News.

President Joe Biden

Al-Qaeda Surging Again Nearly A Year After Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal

A United Nations Report Claims Al-Qaeda Surging Again Nearly A Year After Biden's Afghanistan Withdrawal

afghan

Islam

Radical Islamic Terror

The Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda is now reportedly operating with &#8220;increased freedom of movement&#8221; inside of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan following Democrat President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous pullout from the country last summer, which resulted in the deaths of numerous U.S. Military personnel.
The revelation was made in a new <a href="https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/333/77/PDF/N2233377.pdf">report</a> dated late last month from U.N. experts to the U.N. Security Council.
&#8220;The relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda remains close, with the latter celebrating the former’s success and renewing its pledge of allegiance to [Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada],&#8221; report states. &#8220;Member State assessments thus far suggest that Al-Qaeda has a safe haven under the Taliban and increased freedom of action. Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued more frequent recorded messages since August, and there is now proof of life for him as recently as February 2022.&#8221;
The report also states that two other major Islamic terrorist groups are alive and well inside Afghanistan, including ISIS-K, which &#8220;has financial resources and has grown in strength through prison releases and new recruitments.&#8221; The report also mentions the Haqqani Network as the &#8220;most successful&#8221; in gaining favor with the Taliban and the most &#8220;influential&#8221; of the different terrorist groups.
The report said that Al-Qaeda is &#8220;pleased with developments in Afghanistan&#8221; and that the terrorist group — which was responsible for 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., which is the deadliest terrorist attack in <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/worst-terrorist-attacks-in-history.html">world history</a> — has used Biden&#8217;s chaotic and disastrous pullout from the country to &#8220;to attract new recruits and funding and inspire Al-Qaeda affiliates globally.&#8221;
&#8220;Going forward, Al-Qaeda appears free to pursue its objectives, short of international attacks or other high-profile activity that could embarrass the Taliban or harm their interests,&#8221; the report added. &#8220;These objectives are likely to include recruitment, training, fundraising and al-Zawahiri’s video communications. It is assessed that Al-Qaeda is focused on reorganizing itself in the short-to-medium term with the ultimate objective of continuing its idea of global jihad. While Al-Qaeda is reportedly aware of the need to avoid embarrassing the Taliban, it is noteworthy that when Taliban authorities were pressing to receive humanitarian support from the United Nations, Al-Qaeda did not soften its tone regarding the United Nations or its future intentions to mount attacks against Western targets.&#8221;
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-after-looking-at-watch-during-dignified-transfer-of-13-slain-troops-late-for-your-nap">Biden Slammed After Appearing To Look At Watch During Dignified Transfer Of 13 Slain Troops: ‘They Deserved Better’</a>

President Biden Addresses Nation After Texas Elementary School Shooting

Al-Qaeda Now Has ‘Safe Haven’ In Afghanistan Under Taliban, Operating With ‘Freedom Of Action’: U.N. Report

MSNBC host Joy Reid compared conservatives to terrorists in a Twitter thread, saying that they capitalized on liberals&#8217; failure to turn out at smaller interim elections and arguing that &#8220;Republicans vote the way Al-Qaida fights.&#8221;
Reid had argued in a separate thread that Republicans were moving the United States toward a dystopian future in which everything was under the control of white men, and she concluded that by <a href="https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/1511509391496912901">saying</a>, &#8220;Fascist America is not gonna be a great place to live, folks, at least not for women and people of color. It can still be prevented, but y&#8217;all have got to wake up. And yeah, Democrats are largely uninspiring and terrible fighters. But they&#8217;re all that stands between us and them.&#8221;
&#8220;Show me where Dems are standing between us and them, Joy,&#8221; @Its_Miss_Riss responded. &#8220;Show me where they&#8217;ve stopped the GOP states from passing literally 100s of bills shattering trans and gay rights, women&#8217;s rights, voting rights, election laws, &#8230; Biden literally called the GOP good people TODAY.&#8221;
Reid responded with a second thread, arguing that Democrats were losing in local elections — not because their candidates were weak or their policies were unpopular, but because their base wasn&#8217;t turning out.
&#8220;Democrats are in super minorities in these state legislatures where this stuff is passing precisely because their younger, multiracial base largely sits out midterm and state elections while Republicans, who are overwhelmingly white, rural and far right Christian vote every time,&#8221; she complained.
She then went on to argue that Republicans were willing to play the long game when it came to politics, while Democrats tended to give up if they did not achieve and immediate win.
&#8220;Republicans vote like al-Qaida fights: with a patient, long-term goal of seizing power and forcing the libertine culture to heel under the boot; no matter how many elections it takes. Many Democrats get frustrated after every setback and give up on voting without much of a fight,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Republicans vote like al-Qaida fights: with a patient, long-term goal of seizing power and forcing the libertine culture to heel under the boot; no matter how many elections it takes. Many Democrats get frustrated after every setback and give up on voting without much of a fight.
&mdash; Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoyAnnReid/status/1511542851385110535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Reid then turned her attack on <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-peter-doocy-calls-out-bidens-support-for-texas-democrats-who-fled-the-state-over-voter-integrity-bill/">voter integrity measures</a> that have passed in a number of states — which proponents argue do not make it more difficult to vote but do make it <a href="https://www.mattfortexas.org/blog/post/easy-to-vote-hard-to-cheat">more difficult to cheat</a> — and suggested that they were <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/kerry-washington-voter-integrity-laws-target-black-and-brown-people/">designed to suppress votes</a> my making people feel like even if they could vote, it would not matter.
&#8220;That’s why those anti-voting laws work. They’re designed to frustrate voters out of even trying to participate. And the constant bizarre propaganda from the Republican right serves the same purpose: convincing people that there’s no point to politics. It’s all memes and theater,&#8221; she said.

WILMORE – Season 1

Joy Reid Compares Conservatives To Terrorists: ‘Republicans Vote Like Al-Qaida Fights’

Joy Reid

MSNBC

Terrorists

After the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a resurgent Taliban formed an all-male interim government in early September. Based on available information, at least 14 of the 33 Taliban government ministers are designated terrorists under the U.N. Security Council’s 1988 Sanctions Committee.
As the <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/nearly-half-of-the-taliban-governments-leaders-are-designated-terrorists/">Washington Free Beacon</a> reported, “this designation includes Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund and his two top deputies, Mullah Baradar Akhund and Mawlavi Hanafi.”
Also included in this list of designated terrorists are the Taliban’s defense minister, foreign minister, and deputy foreign minister.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is on the FBI’s <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/terrorinfo/sirajuddin-haqqani">most wanted list</a>.
“Sirajuddin Haqqani is wanted for questioning in connection with the January 2008 attack on a hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed six people, including an American citizen,” the FBI states in the “Terrorism” section of their “Most Wanted” list. “He is believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Haqqani also allegedly was involved in the planning of the assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2008.”
Just days ago, despite the demonstrated connection between the new Taliban government and terrorism, the Biden administration allegedly agreed to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, while conditions in the country worsen under Taliban rule.
“The U.S. has agreed to provide humanitarian aid to a desperately poor Afghanistan on the brink of an economic disaster, while refusing to give political recognition to the country’s new Taliban rulers,”  <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/10/10/1044912355/the-taliban-says-u-s-has-agreed-to-provide-humanitarian-assistance-to-afghanista">The Associated Press </a>reported. “The statement came at the end of the first direct talks between the former foes since the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops at the end of August.”
State Department Spokesman Ned Price <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-delegation-meeting-with-senior-taliban-representatives-in-doha/">said</a> in a statement that the U.S. delegation “focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for U.S. citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society.”
“The two sides also discussed the United States’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people,” the statement added. “The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.”
And concerns about the rise of terrorism in Afghanistan have been fueled further by the Taliban announcing that they will not be working with the U.S. to combat extremism, insisting that terrorist groups like ISIS would be handled internally.
“We are able to tackle Daesh independently,” Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen, using the Arabic acronym for the terrorist group ISIS, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-taliban-islamabad-middle-east-islamic-state-group-4d419bb70259f93f7165169889d05ff1">told</a> the AP
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taliban-says-it-wont-work-with-u-s-to-contain-terrorist-groups-in-afghanistan">The Daily Wire</a> noted at the time: “The statement comes just hours before senior Taliban officials and representatives from the U.S. are set to meet to discuss extremist groups and evacuating the remaining U.S. citizens and Afghans with special visas from Afghanistan. The Taliban’s statement regarding cooperation on containing extremism could complicate the meeting.”

FBI Most Wanted

Taliban Government: 14 of 33 Ministers Are Designated Terrorists

ISIS-K

A report presented at Tuesday&#8217;s National Security Summit suggests that al-Qaeda could rebuild in Afghanistan within &#8220;one to two years,&#8221; and the members of the international terrorist organization are already returning to the country, now fully under the control of the historically terror-friendly Taliban.
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Scott D. Berrier, told the summit Tuesday that al-Qaeda is still active and ready to rebuild, and it is likely that their target remains the United States.
&#8220;The current assessment probably conservatively is one to two years for al-Qaeda to build some capability to at least threaten the homeland,&#8221; Berrier said.
&#8220;Officials say that members of the terrorist group have already started to return to the country amid the Taliban takeover, speeding the timeline for which the group could begin to pose a renewed threat,&#8221; Fox News noted.
&#8220;The new timeline is not a drastic shift, but reflects the reality that the Taliban have a limited ability to control the borders of Afghanistan,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/14/us/politics/al-qaeda-afghanistan.html">The New York Times added</a>. &#8220;While the Taliban have long fought the Islamic State affiliate, they are established allies of Al Qaeda. Though the Taliban pledged in the February 2020 peace agreement with the United States not to let Afghanistan be used by terrorist groups, analysts have said such promises ring hollow.&#8221;
Officials were quick to note that the threat assessment could be revised which officials say may be revised, but indications are that al-Qaeda began making moves to rebuild almost as soon as U.S. troops departed. At the same conference, David Cohen, deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said that intelligence is already beginning to notice al-Qaeda moving back into Afghanistan after having been &#8220;dispersed&#8221; by the American presence there for two decades.
“We are already beginning to see some of the indications of some potential movement of al Qaeda to Afghanistan,” <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/antony-blinken-continues-defense-of-afghanistan-drawdown-before-senate-panel-11631631702">Cohen said, per The Wall Street Journal</a>. “But it’s early days and we will obviously keep a very close eye on that.”
Cohen later added that, because of the &#8220;over the horizon&#8221; nature of the intelligence gathering in Afghanistan, &#8220;the difficult part of the timeline question was to know when Al Qaeda or the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan would &#8216;have the capability to go to strike the homeland&#8217; before they could be detected,&#8221; The New York Times noted.
“We will also look for ways to work from within the horizon, to the extent that is possible,” Cohen said.
&#8220;Mr. Cohen did not identify specific Qaeda members who have traveled back to Afghanistan since the fall of the American-backed government. But Osama bin Laden’s former security chief, Amin al Haq, who served with bin Laden during the battle of Tora Bora, was seen on video returning to the Afghan province of Nangarhar last month,&#8221; The New York Times said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted to Congress, in his testimony before the Senate Tuesday, that “al Qaeda, in terms of its capacity to conduct attacks on the homeland from Afghanistan, is vastly degraded, to the point where it is currently assessed that it does not have that capacity,&#8221; parroting the Biden administration&#8217;s long-held position on the subject.

AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT

Intelligence Experts: Al-Qaeda Could Re-Form In Afghanistan In ‘One To Two Years’

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