A paradox of President Joe Biden’s decision to end the war in Afghanistan is his vow to keep fighting the wider battle against terrorism even in the country he has just abandoned.
It has been a theme of Biden’s administration since he announced the unconditional withdrawal in April. The president has talked of an “over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on any direct threats to the United States in the region.” After the suicide blast at the Kabul airport last week that killed 13 American service members, Biden promised to “hunt down” the perpetrators. On Tuesday, Biden warned the perpetrators of that attack, ISIS-K: “We are not done with you yet.”
It’s possible that the president and his aides believe all of this. No one else should.
Biden’s surrender in Afghanistan, and the predictable consequences of that decision, have made effective counterterrorism there impossible.
This leaves two options. The Biden administration can continue its shameful “partnership” with the Taliban to root out ISIS-K. This would end up legitimizing and maybe even funding an outfit that is interwoven with al-Qaida. The new chief of security for Kabul is a designated U.S. terrorist with a $5 million bounty on his head. Does a counterterrorism partnership with this organization seem possible or desirable?