Al Qaeda affiliates heap praise on Taliban, as Taliban denies the group is in Afghanistan


Al Qaeda and several of its affiliates are praising the Taliban for effectively taking control of Afghanistan, with the South Asian branch on Monday calling this a great military victory against the United States.
Analyst Abdul Sayed tweeted that the branch also said its members are praying that the Taliban can successfully implement sharia law in Afghanistan, The Washington Post reports. This comes as the Taliban is attempting to distance itself from Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. At the time, Al Qaeda was operating out of Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban, and the U.S. launched its war in the country to take out the extremist group and prevent another massive attack on U.S. soil.
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem told Saudi Arabia's al-Hadath TV on Sunday that Al Qaeda is "not present in Afghanistan in the first place," although there may be "family ties" between both groups. He also rejected the idea that the Taliban will turn a blind eye to Al Qaeda fighters coming in from Pakistan, saying, "How many times have I said that we will not allow anyone to use the lands of Afghanistan against the security of other nations? ... Anyone, anyone, anyone from any country."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In June, the United Nations issued a report stating that Al Qaeda has a presence in at least 15 Afghan provinces, and there could be 500 fighters in the country.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
July 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include an extrajudicial detainment camp, 'alligator Alcatraz', and tax cuts for billionaires.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of July
Cartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boat
speed read The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there
-
Colombian senator shot on streets of Bogotá
speed read Miguel Uribe Turbay, who has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election, was shot at a rally