In an interview with former CBS correspondent Catherine Herridge on X, Rubio was asked if there was evidence that Islamic State and al-Qaida had established safe havens in Afghanistan and posed a threat similar to the one that existed before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the pre-9/11 landscape, but I think it creates the opportunity for these groups anytime you have contested governing spaces that don’t have a government that has full control of every part of their territory,” Rubio said.
According to the top U.S. diplomat, “the difference between today and ten years ago is that we do not have American elements on the ground to target and go after them.”
The Taliban have occasionally cooperated when “told that ISIS or al-Qaida is operating in this part of your country,” Rubio continued, and to pursue them. “In other situations, not so much,” he said.
According to Rubio, “I would not say that it is comparable to pre-9/11, but it is definitely far more uncertain — and it is not just limited to Afghanistan.”
Rubio’s comments were not immediately answered by the Taliban, who have consistently maintained that they are in charge of the entire nation and denied the existence of any foreign terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
