(Photo : Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 21: Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for the Middle East Colin Kahl participates in a panel discussion about Iran's nuclear program sponsored by The National Iranian American Council in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill February 21, 2012 in Washington, DC. Kahl said the Iranian Supreme Leader has not decided to start a full-fledged program to build nuclear weapons.
A top Pentagon official warned that the ISIS-K terrorist group, which is an affiliate of the famed insurrection group, could attack the United States within six to 12 months due to growing power and military capability.
It was revealed that Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Jack Reed asked Colin Kahl, the Pentagon undersecretary for policy if the latter agreed with Gen. Mark Milley's assessment. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff previously said that it was possible for a resurgence of international terrorism within 12 to 36 months.
Potential Terrorist Attack
In response, Kahl said that the probability of Miller's assessment depended on the group that was being talked about. The official said that both ISIS-K and Al-Qaeda have the intent to once again conduct external operations and are thinking of attacking the United States. However, he said that neither currently had the military capability to do so.
"We could see ISIS-K generate that capability in somewhere between six to 12 months. I think the current assessment by the intelligence community is that Al-Qaeda would take a year or two to reconstitute that capability, and we have to remain vigilant against that possibility," said Kahl, the New York Post reported.
During the hearing, Lt. Gen. James Mingus, who testified, agreed with the Pentagon official's perspective. The two officials were questioned at the hearing regarding the security detail in Afghanistan.
Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono later questioned Kahl on how the United States could obtain information whether or not ISIS-K or Al-Qaeda were intending to strike should they develop the capability to do so. In response, Kahl said that the insurrection groups certainly had the intent to do so, citing "considerable evidence," Fox News reported.
The situation comes as the U.S. federal government is in talks with Pakistan while using the latter's airspace to fly drones over Afghanistan. During a press briefing on Monday, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that the American government was continuing to discuss and explore opportunities for over the horizon capabilities and support.
Formation of ISIS-K
ISIS-K was formed in 2015 as an affiliate of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, taking its name, ISIS-Khorasan, from the region that includes both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group is known for causing thousands of deaths since it was formed six years ago, the majority of which are due to suicide bombings that have caused mass casualties.
Based on data compiled by the United Nations, ISIS-K has launched 77 attacks in the first four months of 2021. Counter-terrorism analysts estimated that the insurrection group's military strength was now at roughly 1,500 to 2,000. However, experts anticipate the number to rise as some captured ISIS-K fighters were being held inside prisons near Kabul, which has recently fallen to the Taliban militant group.
The ISIS affiliate group has already shown its willingness and determination to launch attacks against civilians in Afghanistan. On Aug. 26, the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members also caused the deaths of more than 150 Afghans who were in the area of the explosion, CNN reported.
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