The Media Line: 24 Years After 9/11, Al-Qaida Resurgence Poses ‘Daily Threat’ to US 

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24 Years After 9/11, Al-Qaida Resurgence Poses ‘Daily Threat’ to US 

Al-Qaida Expert Alex Mishra says,“America is confronting the most dangerous terror threat conglomerate in decades.” 

By Arshad Mehmood / The Media Line 

[Islamabad] The United States faces a troubling question on the 24th anniversary of 9/11: Is history in danger of repeating itself? 

Nearly 3,000 lives were lost on that tragic day in 2001, when al-Qaida struck the heart of America, turning commercial airliners into passenger-filled missiles. 

The attacks reshaped US national security policies and triggered a global “war on terror” that continues to reverberate to this day. 

The specter of extremism, fueled by geopolitical instability and unresolved conflicts, casts a long shadow. 

The US invasion disrupted the al-Qaida network and ousted the Taliban, but the group’s leader escaped, and al-Qaida went underground in Afghanistan and neighboring countries. 

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s return to power have reignited fears that conditions that led to the rise of al-Qaida will return. 

Despite Taliban assurances, al-Qaida is quietly reestablishing camps in Afghanistan, and its close ties with Taliban factions raise doubts about the pledge to keep the country from serving as a base for attacks on the West. 

The anniversary of 9/11 is a testament to the devastating consequences of unchecked extremism and the urgent need for global cooperation to prevent a recurrence of such tragic events. 

In September 2024, the Daily Mirror reported that Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, is alive and leading al-Qaida in Afghanistan — a revelation that shocked global security and intelligence circles. 

The claim directly contradicted earlier reports of his death in a 2019 CIA airstrike, with fresh intelligence suggesting that Hamza and his brother Abdullah are playing key roles in reviving al-Qaida’s influence across the region. 

For so-called global jihadists, his leadership offers continuity with Osama bin Laden’s legacy at a time when the Islamic State is attempting to dominate the global extremist movement. 

It is also believed that Hamza bin Laden and al-Qaida’s de facto leader, Saif al-Adel, are using safe houses in Afghanistan. These safe houses reportedly facilitate the movement of al-Qaida members. 

Al-Adel assumed leadership of al-Qaida following the assassination of Ayman al-Zawahri in a US drone strike in Kabul in July 2022. However, the Taliban has yet to officially confirm Zawahri’s death, heightening concerns about its ties to al-Qaida. 

A former Egyptian commando and longtime associate of Osama bin Laden, al-Adel is regarded as one of the group’s most experienced strategists and operational planners. 

The FBI lists him among its most wanted terrorists, with a $10 million bounty for his role in orchestrating the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. 

U.N. and US officials have repeatedly cautioned that Afghanistan could once again become a safe haven for international terrorist groups, raising fears that the same conditions that enabled the deadliest attack on American soil may be reemerging, posing fresh risks to US security and global stability. 

Afghanistan’s instability under Taliban rule has created space for terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, to regroup. 

Although weaker than before, with fewer resources and leaders, al-Qaida benefits from experienced fighters and the freedom of movement. 

While another 9/11-scale attack is unlikely soon, smaller deadly operations remain possible, aided by online recruitment and coordination. With no foreign troops on the ground, monitoring the threat is far harder, despite US reliance on drones and intelligence. 

On the 24th anniversary of 9/11, the resurgence of al-Qaida in Afghanistan under Taliban protection represents a grave and escalating danger to the American people and US interests worldwide. 

Experts are cautioning against complacency, emphasizing that the fight against terrorism is a continuous battle that demands constant vigilance and unwavering commitment. 

Alex Mishra, a Master of Public Policy at Liberty University in the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore area who specializes in al-Qaida and Afghanistan issues, told The Media Line that “nearly 24 years after 9/11, US national security faces its most serious daily threat since the attacks.” 

He warned that “America is confronting the most dangerous terror threat conglomerate in decades.” 

Mishra claimed that “al-Qaida now operates training camps in more than a dozen Afghan provinces with Taliban support.” 

He noted that “in 2021, the Taliban welcomed Osama bin Laden’s former guard, and by 2024, new camps had been confirmed across eastern Afghanistan. Al-Qaida leader Saif al-Adel has called on foreign fighters to travel to Afghanistan and join these facilities.” 

Mishra added that “Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza bin Laden, has been reported by several sources to be in Afghanistan, committed to strengthening al-Qaida.” 

He claimed, “Al-Qaida maintains a drone training camp in Kunduz, while the Taliban — still aligned with the group — are producing suicide drones modeled after US Reapers and Iran’s Shahed-136 drones at former American and British bases near Kabul and in Logar province.” 

He warned that these developments raise fears of potential drone attacks on major US cities. 

Mishra stressed that Washington must designate the Taliban as a foreign terrorist organization, cut all US funding to its government, and sanction China for its support. 

Adrian Calamel, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Arabian Peninsula Institute and an expert on global security affairs, told The Media Line that he does not believe history repeats itself, “but it does rhyme — and right now, people should be hearing a bellicose symphony.” 

He stressed that “the core issue lies in the politicization of intelligence on Afghanistan, both during the 20-year war and in the years since.” 

Calamel noted that successive US administrations have reported accurate numbers only when they served strategic objectives, while intelligence that contradicted realities on the ground was politicized. 

He stressed that “elements within American intelligence need to understand the Taliban and al-Qaida are inseparable. If our threat analysis is partly based on Taliban counterintelligence, then America is flying blind vis-à-vis an al-Qaida homeland plot.” 

Calamel further observed that Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-K) has often served as a cover for al-Qaida and the Taliban, masking their cooperation while al-Qaida quietly expanded since the Arab Spring in 2010. With Zawahri’s 2011 order halting attacks on Western targets possibly reversed by al-Adel, Calamel cautioned that IS-K could be used as a proxy, as in the Abbey Gate attack. 

He also raised concerns about potential networks inside the US, operatives who may have entered after Kabul’s fall, and reports of the Taliban issuing passports to al-Qaida members. 

Azim Shinwari, a former Afghan senior counterterrorism expert with extensive field experience, told The Media Line: “After Afghanistan fell in 2021, al-Qaida quietly began rebuilding its networks while working closely with the Taliban.” 

He explained that “soon after the takeover, al-Qaida leaders met Taliban’s senior leadership in Kandahar, where Taliban leaders advised them to keep a low profile while strengthening their position.” 

Shinwari claimed that despite staying under the radar, al-Qaida has steadily grown its influence. 

He noted that while Kabul and Washington share intelligence, their cooperation is limited to IS-KP and does not extend to al-Qaida or other terrorist groups. 

Shinwari warned that some insiders caution that another 9/11-type attack cannot be entirely ruled out. 

According to Shinwari, the group currently has about 500 experienced commanders across Afghanistan and Pakistan, many integrated within the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban. In total, al-Qaida’s presence in the region is estimated at around 5,000 members. 

Shinwari noted that Abdullah bin Laden plays a key role in coordinating al-Qaida’s leadership across Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. 

He emphasized that far from being diminished, al-Qaida has grown stronger by operating discreetly, supported by an environment that allows its activities to thrive. 

Shinwari added that its battle-hardened commanders, with years of experience fighting Western forces, are now training younger fighters. 

He underlined that, confident in its long-term goals, al-Qaida views Afghanistan as its main hub. 

Dr. Ejaz Hussain, a Lahore-based political and security analyst who completed his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, told The Media Line, “The Taliban is essentially a network rather than a coherent government, and internal factionalism shapes its responses to security threats.” 

He explained that “while reports suggest al-Qaida may be regrouping under Hamza bin Laden with Haqqani backing, such claims remain contested.” 

However, Hussain noted, the Haqqanis could signal alignment with al-Qaida as a bargaining tool to pressure rival Taliban factions, particularly those based in Kandahar, and to consolidate their influence within the regime. 

According to Hussain, what is beyond dispute is that Afghanistan continues to host various anti-state forces, including the TTP, which carries out cross-border attacks into Pakistan. 

He stressed that this situation requires the United States and Pakistan to work in tandem to engage the Taliban in countering and containing such groups, with Washington providing intelligence and logistical support. 

Hussain emphasized that a deep trust deficit remains between the Taliban and the US, as well as between the Taliban and Pakistan. He concluded that closing this gap is essential to addressing the evolving threat and securing both regional stability and global peace.