Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Thursday, June 17, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool via AP)
WASHINGTON — An extremist group like al-Qaida may be able to regenerate in Afghanistan and pose a threat to the U.S. homeland within two years of the American military’s withdrawal from the country, the Pentagon’s top leaders said Thursday.
At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley whether they rated the likelihood of a regeneration of al-Qaida or the Islamic State group in Afghanistan as small, medium or large.
Gen. Mark Milley declined to say whether Afghanistan's security forces are fully ready to stand up to the Taliban without direct international backing during a potential Taliban offensive.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley talk before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2022 for the Department of Defense in Washington on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)
The U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on America, when the Taliban allowed al-Qaida safe haven in the country. The key goal of U.S and coalition troops in Afghanistan since then has been to prevent a resurgence and another attack against America or other allies.
Military leaders have consistently said that combat operations in Afghanistan have greatly reduced the number of al-Qaida there. But they say that both al-Qaida and ISIS continue to aspire to attack America.
The Biden administration acknowledges that a full troop withdrawal is not without risks, but it argues waiting for a better time is a recipe for never leaving.
The Pentagon has said the U.S. withdrawal after nearly 20 years in Afghanistan is a little more than half completed, and U.S.-led coalition partners also are leaving.
The U.S. Pacific Fleet commander and the Japanese defense minister said close cooperation between their naval forces is more important than ever amid rising tensions over China, North Korea and Russia.
While the future leader of U.S. Army Futures Command has yet to be named, Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman will pin on his third star and take over as deputy commanding general of the service's modernization branch.
“In order to fight as joint and coalition forces,” Lt. Col. Steve Wyatt said, “we need to understand each other’s capabilities and limitations, and how each entity operates and communicates.”
Extremist groups are shifting toward a more militia-style environment, targeting veterans for recruitment, valuing their skills and preying on their patriotism.