That absence, amid a shift that puts Al Qaeda — rather than the Taliban — in the U.S. and NATO’s crosshairs, has forced an evolution in how Afghan forces operate. Afghan intelligence officers in Kabul monitor aerial footage from surveillance aircraft at the Operations Intelligence Center. Even before Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s killing in 2011 in Pakistan, the group’s ranks were decimated and much of its leadership killed or captured. AdvertisementU.S. officials insist that the deal requires the Taliban to sever its ties with Al Qaeda, but U.S. intelligence officials do not expect that to occur. But still, Zia said, the U.S. battle against Al Qaeda isn’t his country’s top priority.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 30, 2021 18:14 UTC