US homeland now at greater risk from terror groups in Afghanistan, says top US general

The US intelligence agencies are now working on a new timeline for the resurgence of terrorist groups

File: Gen Mark Milley speaks at a press briefing at the Pentagon, Wednesday, 21 July 2021 in Washington (The Associated Press)

A top military general in the US has warned that the takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan could accelerate the rise of terror groups in the region.

The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Mark Milley issued his warning on Sunday during a phone briefing on the Afghanistan crisis between officials from the White House and a bipartisan group of members of Congress.

According to the Associated Press (AP), Gen Milley also said during the briefing that the US officials are also expected to alter their assessments about the pace of terrorist groups reconstituting in Afghanistan. Sources told AP that he said that the timeline of the rise of terrorist groups is likely to be revised.

Reports also said that Gen Milley was asked by Republican senator Lindsey Graham whether the rise of the Taliban would lead to a revision of the risk assessment. The Guardian reported that he replied, “Yes.”

Earlier, Lloyd Austin, the defence secretary, had said that he put the “likelihood of terrorist groups finding their way back to Afghanistan at medium.” He had said in June: “It would take possibly two years for them to develop that capability.”

Given the situation unfolding in Afghanistan, officials now believe terror groups — like the al-Qaida  — may be able to regroup much faster than expected.

Sources told AP that the Biden administration officials present during the phone briefing said that the US intelligence agencies are now working on forming a new timeline based on the threats.

Meanwhile, one senior intelligence official, who was not identified, was quoted as saying that “a rapid Taliban takeover was always a possibility.”

He added that “as the Taliban advanced, they ultimately met with little resistance. We have always been clear-eyed that this was possible, and tactical conditions on the ground can often evolve quickly.”

However, on 8 June, President Joe Biden had said that “the likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.”

Meanwhile, Marc Polymeropoulos, who held several roles related to Afghanistan during a 26-year career in the CIA, said: “If they [the US troops] leave, which they did, that means we leave as well. And that certainly affects our intelligence gathering footprint.”