The release of a new video attributed to Hamza bin Laden has heightened concerns about the return of al-Qaeda-linked figures and the security implications for Afghanistan. While the location where the video was recorded has not been confirmed, his appearance in traditional Afghan clothing has fuelled speculation that he may be in the country.<\/p>\n
In the video, Hamza bin Laden is seen wearing traditional dress and a turban, with a mud wall in the background. In his video message, he issues warnings to Washington, London and Tel Aviv, but the exact location of the recording remains unclear.<\/p>\n
Amrullah Saleh, Afghanistan’s former vice president, reacted to the video by calling on the United States to arrange a direct meeting with Hamza bin Laden if he is in Afghanistan, saying it would prevent him from following in Osama bin Laden’s path. Saleh made the request in a post on the social media platform X.<\/p>\n
In a sarcastic reference to US cash aid to the Taliban administration, he wrote that when the United States sends “$40 million in cash” to the administration, it should also raise the request for a meeting with Hamza bin Laden. Saleh also criticised Zalmay Khalilzad, targeting his role in recent years of engagement with the Taliban administration.<\/p>\n
These remarks come as, four days before the video was published, Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US diplomat, attended the signing ceremony for an oil and gas extraction contract in Herat between the Taliban administration and Saudi company Delta International. On 16 September, he was seen alongside senior Taliban officials, including Abdul Ghani Baradar, a presence that once again highlighted questions over his unofficial role in the administration’s contacts with regional actors.<\/p>\n
Saleh went on to refer to the Doha agreement and Khalilzad’s relations with the Taliban administration, writing in a pointedly ironic tone that he could praise Hamza’s “commitment to the Doha agreement” and advise him to stay away from social media. He also claimed that the United States has “good control” over these people and should prevent al-Qaeda-linked networks from re-emerging in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
The United States said in 2019 that Hamza bin Laden had been killed, but the release of this new video has revived uncertainty over his fate. Following Khalilzad’s recent trip to Kabul, the US State Department said he is not an employee of the US government and does not represent the country, and that his activities are personal in nature.<\/p>\n
Al-Qaeda is listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and several other countries, and the network’s name is tied to deadly attacks in various countries. Renewed speculation about the presence of figures linked to the network in Afghanistan has once again raised security sensitivities, given the country’s history of hosting al-Qaeda leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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