It is one thing to know that you cannot win a war and quite another to stage a shameful and debilitating defeat.

Two months after the chaotic departure of the last Pentagon troops deployed in Afghanistan – badly negotiated from the White House by Donald Trump and worse executed by Joe Biden – negative consequences for the security of the United States are already beginning to be seen, which today, it would be more vulnerable to a jihadist terrorist attack than before the Kabul stampede.

Many hostile forces in the complicated scenario of Central Asia and the Middle East, together with other rival powers throughout the world, have wanted to interpret everything that happened in August as a victory over

the American giant. With the valuable incentive of accessing that exclusive legitimacy that during the last half-century only countries such as Cuba or Vietnam have conquered.

Within the typical game of musical chairs in Washington (in which no institution, political position or agency wants to assume external responsibilities), the intelligence services of the United States have begun to warn about the risk of terrorist attacks orchestrated from Afghanistan.

In other words, the jihadists would not be wasting time to return to the 9/11 starting square.

The reality is that the Taliban, through their incompetence and complicity, are creating favourable conditions for Afghanistan to once again become a theme park for jihadism more inspired than ever.

This increased threat has been described in Washington bureaucratic jargon as “a very dynamic environment” and a “more ideologically diffuse and geographically diverse threat.”

All its enemies have taken good note of the inability shown by the United States after having wasted twenty years and two trillion dollars to stabilize a country of 35 million people.

The capacity demonstrated by the United States in some decisive moments of the Cold War has given way to deep and dangerous exhaustion.

Written by: Pedro Rodríguez – International Relations analyst, journalist and lecturer @UCOMILLAS & @IB_Franklin.

Image Credit: Getty

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