The president’s assertion after the withdrawal from Afghanistan that the United States is not at war for the first time in 20 years ignored continued smaller-scale conflicts.
Tag Archives: Al Qaeda
A Botched Drone Strike in Kabul Started With the Wrong Car
An errant strike that killed 10 civilians has called into question the reliability of the intelligence that will be used to conduct future U.S. operations in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda Could Rebuild in Afghanistan in 1-2 Years, U.S. Officials Say
The new timeline is not a radical shift from previous assessments, but reflects the reality that the Taliban has a limited ability to control the borders of Afghanistan.
F.B.I. Releases Newly Declassified Document Related to Sept. 11 Attacks
Families of the Sept. 11 victims have long pushed for a deeper investigation into any possible role the Saudi government had in the attacks, but the document offered no conclusive evidence.
A Time Capsule in Two Front Pages
The newspaper of Sept. 11, 2001, is a document of America before the terror attacks and a memory of a vanished era.
Special Episode: What Does It Mean to ‘Never Forget’?
Twenty years after Sept. 11, a look at what we hold on to and what we choose to let go.
20 Years On, the War on Terror Grinds Along With No End in Sight
Yet, the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan obscure the striking success of a multilateral effort that extends to as many as 85 countries.
How 9/11 Damaged America
Sept. 11 damaged America more than we realized 20 years ago.
Biden Moves to Declassify Some Documents Related to Sept. 11
In an executive order, the president instructed Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to publicly release the declassified documents over the next six months.
U.S. Wrestles With Taliban Sanctions as Afghan Crisis Looms
The Biden administration must balance maintaining pressure and letting humanitarian aid flow.
Will the World Formally Recognize the Taliban?
The extremist group back in charge of Afghanistan has been a pariah to much of the world for its legacy of brutality, and the prospects for greater acceptance remain unclear.
Three Guantánamo Detainees Charged in 2002 Bali Bombing
The men were brought to court for the first time 18 years after their capture and after a one-day delay because of translation challenges at the war court.
Why Biden Didn’t See the ISIS-K Threat Until Too Late
Twenty years later, the terrorism threat from Afghanistan hasn’t faded. And militant competition from ISIS-K has merely increased the stakes.
The New U.S. Challenge in Afghanistan: Coping With Taliban Rule
Its longtime enemy now a fact of life, Washington must choose when to shun or tolerate the group, with all the wrenching trade-offs each policy choice brings.
How Will The US Cope With Taliban Rule?
Its longtime enemy now a fact of life, Washington must choose when to shun or tolerate the group, with all the wrenching trade-offs each policy choice brings.
Biden Didn’t See the ISIS-K Threat in Afghanistan Until Too Late
Twenty years later, the terrorism threat from Afghanistan hasn’t faded. And militant competition from ISIS-K has merely increased the stakes.
In Afghanistan, an Unceremonious End, and a Shrouded Beginning
The last American flight from Afghanistan left behind a host of unfulfilled promises and anxious questions about the country’s fate.
Afghanistan Collapse and Strikes in Somalia Raise Snags for Drone Warfare Rules
But the Biden administration is close to finishing a new playbook for counterterrorism strikes outside conventional war zones.
This Is How Theocracy Shrivels
Radical ideas that once made Islamist extremism seem galvanizing have lost their luster.
What Is ISIS-K, the Islamic State Khorasan?
Founded in 2015, the Afghan splinter group from ISIS counts as its foes U.S. forces and the Taliban.
Amid Afghan Chaos, a C.I.A. Mission That Will Persist for Years
The spy agency had plans to de-emphasize counterterrorism operations to focus on rising global powers. History got in the way.
After Decades of War in Afghanistan, ISIS and Al Qaeda Can Still Wreak Havoc
The U.S. and its allies waged war for 20 years to try to defeat terrorists in Afghanistan. A double-suicide bombing demonstrated that they remain a threat.
The Real Winner of the Afghan War? It’s Not Who You Think.
Pakistan, nominally a U.S. partner in the war, was the Afghan Taliban’s main patron, and sees the Taliban’s victory as its own. But now what does it do with its prize?
Israel’s Spy Agency Snubbed the U.S. Can Trust Be Restored?
Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, heads to Washington promising better relations and seeking support for covert attacks on Iran’s nuclear program.
ISIS Branch Poses Biggest Immediate Terror Threat to Evacuation in Kabul
An Islamic State affiliate that is a sworn enemy of both the Taliban and the United States threatens a large-scale attack against the mission at the airport.
Did the War in Afghanistan Have to Happen?
In 2001, when the Taliban were weak and ready to surrender, the U.S. passed on a deal. Nearly 20 years later, the Taliban hold all the cards.
Biden’s Inaccurate Claims in Defending Afghanistan Withdrawal
The president made misleading or false claims about the reaction of allies to the withdrawal, the presence of Al Qaeda and conditions for Americans traveling to the Kabul airport.
Guantánamo Prosecutors Ask to Strike Information Gained From Torture
The prosecutors’ use of information from a brutal interrogation had troubled Biden administration lawyers and was a source of tension with the chief prosecutor at Guantánamo Bay, who will retire soon.
Biden Sends Dueling Messages on Afghanistan
The administration has sought to reassure Americans that it is ending “forever wars” while signaling to Afghans that the U.S. is not abandoning the beleaguered country.
Biden Says Afghans Must ‘Decide Their Future’ as U.S. Troops Withdraw
Mr. Biden told President Ashraf Ghani that the United States would still offer security assistance, as well as diplomatic and humanitarian aid.
Two More Guantánamo Detainees Are Cleared for Transfer to Other Nations
The decision brings to 11 the number who have been approved to be sent elsewhere, but the Biden administration has yet to name a point person to negotiate transfers with other governments.
Pentagon Weighs Proposal to Send Dozens of Troops Back to Somalia
The plan for a “train and assist” mission would partly reverse President Donald J. Trump’s withdrawal of nearly all American ground forces from the country.
C.I.A. Scrambles for New Approach in Afghanistan
The rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops has left the agency seeking ways to maintain its intelligence-gathering, war-fighting and counterterrorism operations in the country.
Judge Permits Information From C.I.A. Torture in Terror Case
Defense lawyers said it was the first publicly known time that prosecutors had been allowed to use information gained from torture in the proceedings at Guantánamo Bay.
Pentagon Accelerates Withdrawal From Afghanistan
American troops are set to be out by early to mid-July, well ahead of President Biden’s Sept. 11 deadline, even as big issues remain unresolved.
Spy Agencies Seek New Afghan Allies as U.S. Withdraws
The move signals an acknowledgment by Western intelligence agencies that they are preparing for the likely collapse of the central government and a return to civil war.
Guantánamo Detainee Agrees to Drop Call for C.I.A. Testimony
Under a deal with the military court, Majid Khan, who has admitted being a courier for Al Qaeda, will give up his chance to call witnesses to his torture in return for being released as soon as next year.
US Defends Detention of Afghan at Guantánamo Despite Pullout
In the first Guantánamo habeas corpus case under the Biden administration, the government said U.S. forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan did not erode its detention authority.
Biden Discloses Some of Trump’s Secret Drone Strike Rules
The release of the 2017 policy — with redactions — stemmed from open-records lawsuits by The Times and the A.C.L.U.
Biden Officials Place Hope in Taliban’s Desire for Legitimacy and Money
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and others say the prospect of recognition — and financial aid from the United States — can moderate the militant group. Some call that delusional.
Biden’s Plan to End Afghanistan War Gives Some Detainees Hope for Release
The legal basis for indefinite detention at Guantánamo is to prevent combatants from returning to the battlefield. But what if their old battlefield is no more?
General Warns of Challenges to Tracking Terrorist Threats in Afghanistan After U.S. Exits
The military is examining where it can reposition troops to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a terrorist base.
Debating Exit From Afghanistan, Biden Rejected Generals’ Views
Over two decades of war, the Pentagon had fended off the political instincts of elected leaders frustrated with the grind of Afghanistan. But President Biden refused to be persuaded.
Biden’s Afghan Pullout Is a Victory for Pakistan. But at What Cost?
Pakistan’s military stayed allied to both the Americans and Taliban. But now the country may face intensified extremism at home as a result of a perceived Taliban victory.
Biden, Setting Afghanistan Withdrawal, Says ‘It Is Time to End the Forever War’
The president said the main objective of ensuring that Afghanistan would not be a launching pad for terrorism had been achieved and that it was time for American troops to come home.
Here Are The Crucial Questions for Afghanistan as the US Withdraws Troops
What will happen to women and minorities? Can the Afghan president hold on to power? These and other pressing questions face a fearful country as the United States military withdraws.
Biden to Withdraw All Combat Troops From Afghanistan by Sept. 11
After years of arguing against an extended military presence in Afghanistan, President Biden is doing things his way, with the deadline for withdrawal set for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Will Afghanistan Become a Terrorism Safe Haven Once Again?
Not likely, at least in the short term, intelligence officials assess. But stopping terrorism groups over the long term could be more difficult.
Pentagon Chief Orders New Review of Attack in Kenya That Killed 3 Americans
The unusual review of the conclusions of the initial inquiry comes more than a year after the attack by the Shabab revealed security lapses at the base.
In Bid to Boost Its Profile, ISIS Turns to Africa’s Militants
Violence by Islamist extremists in Africa reached a record high last year. Now, the Islamic State is using those attacks to project an image of strength.