Al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri can be hiding in Afghanistan, cautions Ex-US envoy Khalilzad

Ayman al-Zawahiri, who succeeded the 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin-Laden, may still be alive and hiding in Afghanistan or its neighbouring territories, claimed former US Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Sunday. Al-Zawahiri was picked as the leader of Al-Qaeda after Laden’s death and has been accused of orchestrating multiple terror attacks in Europe, Africa, and Asia. While the Egypt-born terrorist has been reported dead multiple times, there is no substantive evidence of his death.   

Speaking to CBS, Khalilzad said that there were several reports indicating al-Zawahiri being alive and operating from Afghanistan or its vicinity. However, he reckoned that there were possibilities of ruling the Taliban administration not knowing about it. "I don’t know whether the Taliban know it. The Taliban that I dealt with, they told me they did not know where he was," he said.

'US mission was a success'

Talking about the US’ counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan, the Ambassador said that it was a success given the plunge of terrorist threats from the country. Substantiating his point further, Khalilzad said that Al-Qaeda, which was the main reason for military deployment, has been left "devastated”. Regardless, he said that despite American presence, the central Asian country failed to adopt the democratic model of governance. “Talibs are the reality of Afghanistan. We did not defeat them,” he told CBS.

It is to be noted that Khalilzad had decided to step down in May after US President Joe Biden announced a complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. His stepping down also comes amid the State Department Inspector General's announcement of opening a series of investigations into the US' "hasty" withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Is al-Zawahiri dead?

While reports of the Al-Qaeda leader being dead have surfaced multiple times, there is skepticism on his status. Last month, an hour-long video featuring al-Zawahiri surfaced online after being shared by his terror group on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Notably, the US continues to offer a US$25 million reward for information or intelligence leading to al-Zawahiri. 

(Image: AP)