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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
Why is MAGA turning on Amy Coney Barrett?
Today's Big Question She may be the swing vote on Trump cases
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Gavin Newsom's podcast debut is not going over well with some liberals
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The first episode of the California Governor and potential presidential candidate's 'This is Gavin Newsom' featured cozy conversation with far-right operative Charlie Kirk and a surprisingly conservative stance on transgender athletes
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Extremists still find plenty of digital spaces'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Arab leaders embrace Egypt's Gaza rebuilding plan
Speed Read The $53 billion proposal would rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinian residents
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Germany's conservatives win power amid far-right gains
Speed Read The party led by Friedrich Merz won the country's national election; the primary voter issues were the economy and immigration
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia frees US teacher Marc Fogel in murky 'exchange'
Speed Read He was detained in Moscow for carrying medically prescribed marijuana
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Hamas pauses Gaza hostage release, upending ceasefire
Speed Read Hamas postponed the next scheduled hostage release 'until further notice,' accusing Israel of breaking the terms of their ceasefire deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Baltic States unplug from Russian grid, join EU's
Speed Read Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are disconnecting from the Soviet-era electricity grid to join the EU's network
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 11 killed in Sweden adult ed school shooting
Speed Read The worst mass shooting in Swedish history took place in Orebro
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published