SHOCKING: The Taliban Is BACK—And It’s Worse Than You Think!

Three years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the country has once again emerged as a dangerous hub for terrorist activity, according to Lt. Gen. Sami Sadat, a former Afghan military leader. In his view, the Taliban’s resurgence has provided a new safe haven for groups like al Qaeda, which now wields even more influence than it did before the infamous 9/11 attacks.

Despite the U.S. spending over $2.3 trillion on the war, Sadat says al Qaeda has grown stronger. “There is 50,000 al Qaeda members and al Qaeda associates in Afghanistan – most of them have trained for overseas operations in the last three years,” Sadat told Fox News Digital. These figures paint a concerning picture, especially given that the terrorist group had only around 4,000 members at large before 9/11. While the numbers cited by Sadat cannot be independently verified, the reality is that al Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan is much larger than it was years ago.

The situation raises alarms not only for Afghanistan but also for the broader international community. According to Sadat, al Qaeda has set up around a dozen training camps across Afghanistan since the U.S. left in 2021. These camps serve as a breeding ground for future attacks, with al Qaeda now having access to resources, space, and protection under the Taliban.

“Allowing them to retake Afghanistan with the Taliban in 2021 gave them a new rallying call. This is now their most important hub,” Sadat noted in his book The Last Commander: The Once and Future Battle for Afghanistan. The statement underscores the Taliban’s role in empowering al Qaeda, a relationship that has evolved into something more dangerous as other global actors get involved.

One significant factor contributing to this resurgence is the newfound support from nation-states, particularly Iran. Historically, al Qaeda relied on private donors, especially from the Gulf region. However, Iran’s involvement signals a shift in how the terrorist group is funded and supported. In 2021, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed, “al-Qaeda has a new home base: it is the Islamic Republic of Iran,” pointing to a disturbing trend of state-sponsored extremism.

Sadat revealed a meeting between Iranian officials, al Qaeda, and the Taliban shortly after the U.S. left Afghanistan, where Iran reportedly offered financial and logistical support to strengthen al Qaeda’s operations. “In October 2021… Tehran had offered to finance the ‘reconstitution and recruitment’ of al Qaeda and encouraged the Taliban to give them space for training and army building,” Sadat said.

This collaboration between al Qaeda and Iran complicates the global fight against terrorism. It also highlights the complexity of alliances between traditionally opposing factions, such as Shia Iran and Sunni extremist groups like al Qaeda. Iran’s support for al Qaeda, combined with its longstanding ties to other militant organizations like Hezbollah, creates a broader network of extremism that threatens international stability.

Sadat, one of the last Afghan commanders fighting the Taliban after Kabul fell, attributes the collapse of Afghanistan not just to Taliban strength but to strategic missteps made by U.S. and Afghan leadership. “The war was lost not because the Taliban were strong but because for twenty years it was not treated as a war but as a short-term intervention,” he wrote, criticizing the inconsistent U.S. approach that spanned four different presidential administrations.

The withdrawal, driven by political pressures and a desire to end the “endless wars,” left Afghanistan vulnerable, demoralized, and under-equipped. U.S. air support dwindled, Afghan forces ran out of ammunition, and the Taliban took advantage of the chaos. Sadat points out that a better understanding of the long-term stakes could have prevented the disaster.

In Sadat’s view, Afghanistan is now a hotbed of terrorism, with ties to hostile nations like Iran, North Korea, and Russia. But his outlook isn’t entirely grim. While acknowledging the current dire state of affairs, Sadat holds hope for the future. “The new generation, my generation, have the motivation to take back Afghanistan and change it once and for all,” he said, vowing to one day return and help rebuild the nation he once defended.

For now, though, Afghanistan remains a country in turmoil, and the threat of international terrorism looms larger than ever.