KABUL: Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has issued a stark warning about the resurgence of foreign “terrorist fighters” in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, stating that they are now launching attacks in Europe and the Middle East. Bolton, a vocal critic of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, described the situation as increasingly perilous.
“Foreign terrorist fighters have returned to Afghanistan and are now staging terrorist attacks in Europe and the Middle East. Just this past weekend, they attempted an attack at three Taylor Swift concerts,” Bolton said during an interview with Newsmax.
Bolton, who also served as US Ambassador to the United Nations, criticized the Trump administration for negotiating the deal that led to the US withdrawal, which he argues was poorly executed by the Biden administration.
“It was the Trump administration that struck this deal with Afghanistan,” Bolton said. “They sidelined the legitimate Afghan government and made a deal with the Taliban, despite having no reason to believe the Taliban would honor their commitments.”
He called the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan “catastrophic,” citing the resurgence of terrorist activity as one of its severe consequences. Bolton urged the US government to adopt a firmer stance against the Taliban.
“We should not be providing any American assistance, directly or indirectly, to the Taliban. Although we are theoretically not doing so, there are reports suggesting that we are still funding agencies that inadvertently benefit the Taliban, given that the US contributes 22% of a typical UN budget. Congress needs to investigate this further,” Bolton added.
He also claimed that the Taliban is harboring terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda, posing a serious threat to Afghanistan and the broader region.
Although the Taliban denies the presence of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, a recent United Nations report indicated that over 20 terrorist groups are currently operating in the country under Taliban rule.
