Counterterrorism official warns 'new' Taliban just as brutal as 'old' pre-9/11 terror organization

close

Video

Gen. Petraeus reflects on 9/11, talks terror threat in Afghanistan

Gen. David Petraeus joins 'The Brian Kilmeade Show.'

A former top counterterrorism official is warning that the situation on the ground in Afghanistan under "new" Taliban rule is nearing pre-9/11 conditions, as the 20th anniversary of the most deadly terrorist attack on American soil nears.

Nathan Sales, the former ambassador-at-large for counterterrorism under former President Trump, says that the Taliban's actions over the last few weeks show that they plan to govern Afghanistan as a "terror state," as the group did before 9/11 and American intervention on the ground.

"The new Taliban is the same as the old Taliban. They haven’t ‘moderated’ a bit. By appointing FBI-wanted terrorists to leadership positions, and scheduling their inauguration for the anniversary of 9/11, they’re showing that they will govern Afghanistan as a terror state -- just like the last time they held power," Sales said in a statement to Fox News.

4 PRISONERS OBAMA EXCHANGED FOR BOWE BERGDAHL NOW IN SENIOR TALIBAN POSTS

Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by the FBI and the head of the violent Haqqani network, was recently named as the Taliban's interim interior minister. In addition, four out of five Guantanamo detainees released under Obama in 2014 in exchange for former U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl have been selected for senior positions in the Taliban's government.

"As long as the Taliban keeps its alliance with terrorists, we need to keep our sanctions in place and deny them the international legitimacy they seek," Sales said.

Nathan Sales, the former ambassador-at-large for counterterrorism under former President Trump, says that the Taliban's actions over the last few weeks show that they plan to govern Afghanistan as a "terror state," as the group did before 9/11 and American intervention on the ground. (Fox News Channel)

Sales, a Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board member, also blasted the Biden administration for pulling all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan before safely securing passage of every American out of the country.

"It's bad enough that the Biden administration pulled out before getting every American home to safety. Now we’re hearing reports that it may be preventing private evacuation flights. If the White House isn’t bringing Americans home, at a minimum it needs to help the private sector do so."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In addition, terrorist threats in Afghanistan will continue to grow after the ISIS-K attack that killed 13 U.S. service members on Aug. 26, Sales warned during an interview with Fox News prior to full U.S. troop withdrawal.

"If it was them, the fact that ISIS was able to carry out a sophisticated attack like this, despite Taliban pressure against them, really suggests that Afghanistan going forward is going to be a petri dish for all kinds of terrorist threats," said Sales.

He elaborated, saying that once the U.S. leaves Afghanistan without a military or diplomatic presence on the ground, "our ability to collect information about plots like the one that unfolded is going to be dramatically reduced."