A U.S. joint intelligence bulletin obtained by Newsweek has warned that foreign militant groups could exploit the upcoming anniversary of 9/11, one year since the U.S. military withdrew from the two-decade war launched in Afghanistan in the wake of the attacks, to inspire homegrown violent extremists (HVEs).
The bulletin, dated September 2 and issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), stated that the three agencies “expect foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) and their supporters will seek to exploit the 21st anniversary of 9/11, the one-year anniversary of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the recent death of AQ overall leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in their messaging, which may inspire some HVEs.”
Zawahiri succeeded Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who led the group until he was killed by U.S. forces during a raid in Pakistan in 2011. Early last month, Biden announced that Zawahiri was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan in late July.
