Al-Qaeda supporters in Afghanistan’s Kunar province and in online jihadist chat forums are jubilant after Taliban’s “historic victory” in Afghanistan. According to BBC, the humiliating departure of the US forces, which temporarily expelled both the Taliban and al-Qaeda 20 years ago, has given a morale boost to anti-Western jihadists all over the world.

Western forces and leaders have warned that this Taliban takeover could mean that return of al-Qaeda to Afghanistan, in strength, is “inevitable”.

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who held an emergency crisis meeting, said that Western nations need to unite to prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into becoming a haven for international terrorist groups.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Monday, called on the UN Security Council to “use all tools at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan”.

The question here is does a Taliban return automatically means return of al-Qaeda’s bases?

Not necessarily, no.

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When the Taliban governed Afghanistan from 1996-2001, it was practically a pariah state and only three countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, recognised their legitimacy.

The Taliban brutalised their own people and provided safe sanctuary for Osama Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda organisation, which orchestrated the 9/11 attacks on the US in 2001.

But things have changed now. The Taliban want want some degree of international recognition. They are projecting themselves as peace keepers and said they have come to restore order, calm and authority.

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During the failed peace talks that took place in Doha, Taliban negotiators were asked to disassociate themselves completely from al-Qaeda to get this desired recognition. The Taliban claims to have done it already, but a recent UN report says otherwise.

During the Taliban’s recent dramatic takeover of the whole country, there have been numerous reported sightings of “foreigners” in their ranks, ie non-Afghan fighters.

There is a difference in what Taliban’s front men say and how some the barbarous acts of revenge taking place on the ground.

The Taliban, which took over Kabul on Sunday, wants to focus on ruling Afghanistan according to Sharia. But jihadists in al-Qaeda and IS may have different ambitions. There are chances that new Taliban government could not be able to restrain them.