Asim Umar

August 13, 2021 | Bill Roggio, Andrew Tobin

After lengthy siege, Lashkar Gah is taken by the Taliban

Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, fell to the Taliban after a lengthy seige. With Helmand and Kandahar provinces in the hands of the Taliban, the rest of the south will go under Taliban control...

May 27, 2021 | Bill Roggio |

Afghan military targets Al Qaeda’s network in Helmand

The Afghan military has launched multiple attacks against Al Qaeda’s network in the southern province of Helmand over the past week. Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, Al Qaeda’s regional branch that...

July 7, 2020 | Bill Roggio |

Taliban again denies Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan

In an effort to keep up the facade of a ‘peace’ deal with the U.S. government, the Taliban has yet again denied that Al Qaeda has a presence in Afghanistan. This time, the group refuted a Department...

June 25, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Donald Trump’s Silence on Al-Qaeda Is Deafening

The administration is still going after terrorists even as it claims to be ending ‘endless war.’

June 15, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Taliban falsely claims al Qaeda doesn’t exist in Afghanistan

General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), questioned the Taliban’s willingness to take action against al Qaeda during an online conference held last week. The...

March 3, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio

Analysis: Taliban leader declares victory after U.S. agrees to withdrawal deal

Shortly after the Trump administration signed its accord with the Taliban on Feb. 29, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada declared “victory” on behalf “of the entire Muslim and Mujahid nation.”...

February 19, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Are We Headed Toward an Ignoble End in Afghanistan?

The question is less about when to leave and more about how to do so without further emboldening the Taliban.

January 15, 2020 | Bill Roggio |

U.S. military buries press release that would announce killing of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent’s emir

The U.S. Department of Defense suppressed a press release that would have announced the death of Asim Umar, the emir of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, because it “would complicate future negotiations...

September 24, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Afghan officials identify AQIS members killed in controversial Musa Qala raid

Afghan officials have publicly identified several of the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) members who were killed during an operation in Helmand province earlier this week. The raid quickly...

September 23, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Joint raid targeted al Qaeda members in Taliban stronghold, U.S. and Afghan officials say

Taliban sites posted this photo from the aftermath of a joint U.S.-Afghan raid in Musa Qala. Late yesterday, U.S. and Afghan forces targeted al Qaeda members in Musa Qala, a Taliban-controlled district...

June 13, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Senior al Qaeda official praises Taliban’s ‘victory’ in Afghanistan

Asim Umar, a senior al Qaeda official, has released a lengthy statement praising the Taliban’s “victory” in Afghanistan. He claims that America’s “defeat” proves that its superior technology...

March 19, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio

Why the Taliban should be required to renounce al Qaeda in any deal with US

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February 7, 2019 | Thomas Joscelyn |

Zawahiri criticizes jihadists in Syria for clinging to territory under Turkey’s protection

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May 26, 2017 | Thomas Joscelyn

Unfinished Business

Donald Trump is fond of claiming that his predecessor mismanaged America's role in the world. "And I have to just say that the world is a mess. I inherited a mess," the president noted durin...