Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, Former Obama CIA Director, Michael Morell, said the Former Vice President’s mishandling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan has “inspired jihadists” throughout the world.
These comments come after al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, released a video on September 11, 2021, which was the 20th anniversary of the twin-tower attacks.
Morell said the United States thinks the Taliban is “harboring” al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan.
.@MichaelJMorell on keeping Al Qaeda threat at bay following Afghanistan withdrawal: “We have to figure out how we’re going to collect two types of intelligence — how we’re going to make sure that Al Qaeda is not rebuilding its capabilities and is planning on attacking us again.” pic.twitter.com/hA7JzJJbma
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 12, 2021
One of the main points Morell drove home was the fact that the US will have a more difficult time pulling intelligence from the Afghanistan region. He also said al-Qaeda may possibly “bounce back” and become a formidable threat to the United States.
Obama’s Acting CIA Director Michael Morell: Joe Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal “absolutely inspired jihadists all over the world” pic.twitter.com/4RKUW4E7HK
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 12, 2021
Morell said, “I think that the Taliban winning the war in Afghanistan and then the way our exit happened has absolutely inspired jihadists all over the world. The Taliban is saying we just didn’t defeat the United States. We defeated NATO. We defeated the world’s greatest military power ever. So there’s a celebration going on. We defeated the Soviet Union. Then it fell. Now we’ve defeated NATO. Right? Maybe they can fall, too.”
Morell went on to say, “I think not only will jihadists be inspired, but a lot of them are going to come to Afghanistan to be part of the celebration, to be part of jihadist central. So after 9/11, they all scattered from Afghanistan. I think we’re going to see a flow back in, and that’s one of the things that makes Afghanistan more dangerous than other spots on the planet.”
