Article published in The Daily Mirror, 13 September 2024. © Richard Kemp

Coalition forces succeeded in their mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021. That statement may come as a surprise to some, but it’s true. Our primary purpose was to prevent another 9/11 — the worst terrorist attack in history — emerging from Afghanistan, and during that period nothing like it was ever launched from there.

Today the picture is very different, with a leaked intelligence report showing Al Qaida dramatically regaining strength in a country now under Taliban rule as it was on 9/11. And it’s not just Al Qaida. The Islamic State is also on the rise in Afghanistan. They carried out a horrific attack at the Crocus Hall in Moscow in March killing 145 people.

I was Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan in 2003. Back then, the Taliban and Al Qaida were pretty much at bay, following the successful US-led operation to drive them out that began in 2001. Later they became resurgent again but were being held back by the Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition troops, including the British. That all ended when President Joe Biden ordered his disastrous withdrawal in 2021. It led directly to the collapse of the Afghan forces and the Kabul government. As a result jihadist terror came full circle.

According to the leaked report, Al Qaida is now led by Usama Bin Laden’s son Hamza, along with other members of the Bin Laden terror dynasty. They have an open field now in Afghanistan, despite Biden’s boast in 2021 that US “over the horizon capabilities” would be sufficient to deal with the threat. In reality the intelligence and combat vacuum that he created means Al Qaida and the Islamic State will become an even greater danger to us all even than they were in 2001. And Hamza Bin Laden will be intent not only on jihadist conquest but also on vengeance for his father.