August 16, 2021

The Pentagon is warning that terrorist networks based in Afghanistan could gain power faster than expected after the Taliban seized control in a stunning guerrilla campaign last week.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear to lawmakers over the last 24 hours that he wants to “reassess” the potential for terrorist groups such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State to reconstitute inside Afghanistan in light of the Taliban’s takeover, spokesperson John Kirby told POLITICO Monday.

However, it is too early for the Defense Department “to make a firm judgment either way” about what the terrorist threat will look like in the coming weeks and months, Kirby told reporters earlier in the day.

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