The Real Lesson of Afghanistan: The 'Journey of Jihad' Marches On

In an interview conducted back in 2005, al-Qaeda’s Ayman al-Zawahiri was asked about the statuses of Osama bin Laden, then leader of al-Qaeda, and Mullah Muhammad Omar, then leader of the Taliban—the two men most implicated for the September 11, 2001, terror strikes on the U.S. (bin Laden for masterminding it, Omar for providing him with logistical aid and sanctuary).

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan: The 'Journey of Jihad' Marches On C48530b1-ec9f-46a5-a6eb-faaf426c6a0a-860x475

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan: The 'Journey of Jihad' Marches On C48530b1-ec9f-46a5-a6eb-faaf426c6a0a-860x475

It had been four years since the U.S. had invaded Afghanistan, toppled the Taliban, and sent jihadists of all stripes running; there had not been a peep from either the leader of al-Qaeda or the leader of the Taliban for quite some time.

Al-Zawahiri’s response, which I translated for inclusion in The Al Qaeda Reader (2007), has always stayed with me. He said:

Jihad in the path of Allah is greater than any individual or organization. It is a struggle between Truth and Falsehood, until Allah Almighty inherits the earth and those who live in it. Mullah Muhammad Omar and Sheikh Osama bin Laden—may Allah protect them from all evil—are merely two soldiers of Islam in the journey of jihad, while the struggle between Truth [Islam] and Falsehood [non-Islam] transcends time (p.182, emphasis added).

Consider the applicability—if not the prophetic nature—of this response in light of recent developments: Twenty years ago, the U.S.A.—the world’s only superpower—invaded Afghanistan, one of the world’s weakest and poorest nations. It made quick work of its enemies and set up shop, nation-building and importing “democracy,” and it eventually eliminated its archenemies, Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar.

To any casual Western observer, it was an unqualified and resounding U.S. victory.

And yet...

https://pjmedia.com/columns/raymond-ibrahim/2021/08/17/the-real-lesson-of-afghanistan-the-journey-of-jihad-marches-on-n1470276

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan: The 'Journey of Jihad' Marches On

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan: The 'Journey of Jihad' Marches On

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