McCaul: Biden’s Statements on Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan ‘Divorced From Reality’
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul strongly criticized President Biden’s outrageous claim that al Qaeda is no longer present in Afghanistan and that the United States is receiving “help” from the Taliban.
“it is completely divorced from reality for President Biden to claim that al Qaeda is no longer operating in Afghanistan or that the Taliban has somehow become our national security partner in the region,” McCaul said.
President Biden made his remarks in response to a U.N. report that revealed the Taliban openly uses al Qaeda training manuals and receives instruction from al Qaeda that al Qaeda has established training camps across Afghanistan, one of which is specifically used to train suicide bombers and that the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense openly provides al Qaeda with monthly “welfare payments” that are used to pay fighters.
The U.N. report did not support President Biden’s assertions, which found that the “relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaida remained close and symbiotic with al-Qaida viewing Taliban-administered Afghanistan a safe haven.”
Earlier, Biden responded to a question concerning “mistakes in Afghanistan withdrawal”, “Remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al-Qaida would not be there. I said it would not be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right.”
McCaul also added about the U.S. strike in Kabul, saying that Al Zawahiri, the head of al Qaeda, was found to be residing in a luxurious mansion owned by a high-ranking Taliban official in Kabul. After the U.S. neutralized the al Qaeda commander, the Taliban denied responsibility for the attack.
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman said that top U.S. generals and the U.N. frequently report on al Qaeda’s expanding capabilities, “which not only go unchecked by the Taliban but are aided by the Taliban through funding and security cooperation.”
Meanwhile, McCaul stated that “President Biden’s words can only be interpreted as an attempt to whitewash the Taliban and al Qaeda’s longstanding ties, and may even be an attempt to get America on the path of recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. That is something I will do everything in my power to oppose.”
On the other hand, the Taliban authorities reacted to MaCaul’s remarks by saying that al-Qaeda has no presence in Afghanistan and the Taliban has no kind of relations with the group.
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