Is Afghanistan on Brink of New “September 11”?

DID Press: Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, has likened the recent Pakistan–U.S. joint counterterrorism statement to the geopolitical atmosphere immediately after the September 11 attacks. The statement identified the fight against Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the core of bilateral cooperation — militant groups that Islamabad claims receive safe haven and support on Afghanistan soil.

Analysts note that such close alignment between Washington and Islamabad is rare, potentially paving the way for heightened pressure on Afghanistan’s Taliban-led interim government. The comparison to the post-9/11 period recalls when Taliban support for al-Qaeda triggered a U.S.-led military invasion and the collapse of the then-Taliban rule.

Now, as Pakistan allege that Taliban are backing TTP and Baloch separatists, concerns are growing that the current situation could escalate into direct U.S. intervention — and possibly a military confrontation with the Taliban authorities.