Pentagon official says ISIS-K in Afghanistan may have capability to strike US in 6 months

US intelligence agencies believe that Islamic State In Afghanistan A senior Pentagon official told senators on Tuesday that he could develop the capability to attack the US in six months.

The dire warning is the latest warning of the danger that remains after US troops left the country in late August Taliban took back control.

Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl said the US needs to be alert to threats from Al Qaeda and the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State known as ISIS-K.

“I think the intelligence community currently assesses that both ISIS-K and al Qaeda intend to conduct external operations against the United States, but do not currently have the capacity to do so,” he told members. managing committee Armed Services Committee.

‘We can see ISIS-K generating that potential for somewhere between six or 12 months.

‘I think it will take a year or two to reorganize that capability in the current assessment by the intelligence community as Al Qaeda.’

Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl said the US has to be alert to threats from Al Qaeda and the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State, ISIS-K.

An Afghan security personnel holds the flag of the Islamic State group after an attack in the city of Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, August 3, 2020. A prison in eastern Afghanistan was attacked by an Islamic State group carrying hundreds of its members. After killing people in fighting overnight on Monday, a local official said

His words will trigger fresh criticism of the swift end to America’s 20-year war, the chaotic scenes at Kabul airport and the death of 13 American personnel in an ISIS-led suicide attack.

President Biden has seen his situation worsen at home with opinion polls declining, and his reputation abroad weakened among aides who said he was blind.

Kahl’s comments are similar to those of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, who recently offered a similar six-month deadline.

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But officials have also said they expect the Taliban to fulfill promises made to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist haven – to the skepticism of many Afghan observers.

Kahl did not specify in his assessment whether the Taliban had the ability to prevent ISIS-K from developing into a major threat.

“Our assessment is that the Taliban and ISIS are mortal enemies,” he said.

‘That’s why the Taliban is highly motivated to go after ISIS-K.

I think their ability to do that has to be determined.’

But he also had reassuring words for the committee, saying the threat to the American homeland was at its lowest level since September 11, 2001.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst scoffed at that assessment.

“It doesn’t sound like a low risk when you just told us that an ISIS-K attack on our homeland could likely come six to 12 months from now,” she said.

However, Kahl and Joint Staff’s Director of Operations Lieutenant General James Mingus, who was also providing evidence, said the timeline did not take into account the operations to reduce the capabilities of ISIS-K and Al Qaeda.

Inaugurating proceedings, Sen. Jack Reed, chairman of the committee, underscored the need for vigilance.

He said, “While the United States has ended its military mission in Afghanistan, we must continue to ensure that al Qaeda, ISIS-K and other terrorist groups continue to attack the United States and our allies in Afghanistan.” Can’t use it,” he said.

‘We must be vigilant about these threats and ensure that we go ahead and put in place an effective and strong counter-terrorism framework.’