In the aftermath of the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the threat of terrorism in the Middle Eastern country has once again surged. A recent report released by the House Foreign Affairs Committee highlighted the significant increase in terror activity in Afghanistan following the U.S. exit.
The report pointed out that the Biden-Harris administration failed to adequately plan for alternative methods of countering terrorism after the withdrawal, leading to the flourishing of terrorist groups in the region. One group in particular, ISIS-K, has emerged as a major threat, responsible for a deadly suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport that claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and numerous Afghans.
The United Nations now considers ISIS-K to be the "greatest external terrorist threat to Europe" following a recent attack in Moscow. Additionally, other terror organizations such as the Haqqani Network and Al Qaeda have reasserted themselves in Afghanistan under Taliban control.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has repeatedly warned about the escalating terrorism threat, emphasizing the danger posed by homegrown violent extremists, domestic violent extremists, foreign terrorist organizations, and state-sponsored terrorist organizations. Wray has also expressed concerns about the impact of the chaos on the southern border, which he believes has further exacerbated the terrorism threat in the region.
The report concludes that without a U.S. presence in Afghanistan, the country is ill-equipped to counter the rise of terrorism. The failure to address the growing threat of terrorism in the Middle East has raised significant concerns among policymakers and security officials, highlighting the need for a comprehensive strategy to address the ongoing security challenges in the region.