Biden’s comments on Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan ‘divorced from reality’: McCaul

KABUL (TOLO News): The House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul in a statement reacted to US President Biden’s recent remarks on al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, saying that “it is completely divorced from reality for President Biden to claim that al Qaeda is no longer operating in Afghanistan or that the Taliban has somehow become our national security partner in the region.”

Earlier, Biden in response to a question about “mistakes in Afghanistan withdrawal”, said: “Remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al-Qaida would not be there. I said it wouldn’t be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right.”

Referring to a UN report saying the “relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaida remained close and symbiotic with al-Qaida viewing Taliban-administered Afghanistan a safe haven,” McCaul said that Biden’s words can only be interpreted as an attempt to whitewash the Islamic Emirate and al Qaeda’s longstanding ties, and “may even be an attempt to get Washington on the path of recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.”

“That is something I will do everything in my power to oppose,” he said.

McCaul also mentioned the US strike in Kabul, in which, according to the US officials, Ayman al- Zawahiri, the leader of al Qaeda was killed.

However, earlier, the Islamic Emirate said that they have not found any details to prove that Zawahiri was killed in Afghanistan.

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman argued that the UN and top US generals regularly report al Qaeda’s growing capabilities, “which not only go unchecked by the Taliban, but are aided by the Taliban through funding and security cooperation.”

The Islamic Emirate has yet to comment on McCaul’s statement.