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Rory Stewart explains why Afghanistan could become a new hotbed for global terrorism
Former UK diplomat Rory Stewart says the world is safer today than it was 20 years ago, but that terrorists still pose a threat to international security. Victories for jihadists in Iraq, Syria and now Afghanistan could ultimately lead the world towards more global terrorism. As if the Taliban retaking Afghanistan wasn't enough of a blow, the ISIS-K attack on the Kabul airport may be a sign that the country is on its way to become a safe haven for terrorist groups yet again.
"The problem in the US debate is that it's just all black and white. Either this is the most important threat in the world, or it's not a threat at all. The answer of course is, it's somewhere in between, and it's always been," Stewart says in an interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World. He also believes that the US-UK relationship is likely to suffer after President Joe Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan. The UK, he says, has crafted its foreign policy in lock step with the United States since the 1950s. The fact that America's biggest partner wasn't consulted on the Afghanistan withdrawal is likely going to change how Downing Street treats its ties with Washington.
Watch the full episode: Is America safer since 9/11?
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US now at most isolationist stage since WW2, says former UK diplomat
How has America's withdrawal from Afghanistan affected the US-UK "special relationship"? For former UK diplomat Rory Stewart, the hasty pullout without consulting close allies is only the latest example of the US — under first Trump and now Biden — being at the most isolationist stage on foreign military interventions since World War II. "It's a very, very awkward, odd moment. I mean, we, can we rebuild from it, but it's been a very shattering, disappointing moment." Watch his interview with Ian Bremmer on the latest episode of GZERO World.
Watch the episode: Is America Safer Since 9/11?
With US out, will Afghanistan become a greater terrorist threat?
While the US has gotten a lot better at counter-terrorism since 9/11, many bad guys are still out there — and the Taliban victory in Afghanistan has given them a huge morale boost. "They will see this as they did, indeed, the ISIS victories in Syria and Iraq, as a sign that they're on their way back," says former UK diplomat Rory Stewart. "Whatever we think about Afghanistan, nobody should be concluding that there are no terrorist threats." Watch his interview with Ian Bremmer on this episode of GZERO World.
Watch the episode:Is America Safer Since 9/11?
Is America safer since 9/11?
20 years have passed since 9/11, but is the US any safer? As the Taliban regains control in Afghanistan, was the War on Terror a failure or has it kept America safe from harm? And how did US allies feel as the last American planes left Kabul? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to two people who have had a hand in crafting global policy since the towers fell: Michael Chertoff, who served as Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security under President George Bush; and Rory Stewart, who worked extensively in Afghanistan in his role as UK Secretary of State for International Development and beyond.
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Podcast: A safer America 20 years after 9/11? Michael Chertoff and Rory Stewart discuss
Listen: 20 years have passed since 9/11, but is the US any safer? As the Taliban regains control in Afghanistan, was the War on Terror a failure or has it kept America safe from harm? And how did US allies feel as the last American planes left Kabul? On the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer speaks to two people who have had a hand in crafting global policy since the towers fell: Michael Chertoff, who served as Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security under President George Bush; and Rory Stewart, who worked extensively in Afghanistan in his role as UK Secretary of State for International Development and beyond.
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.- 20 years since 9/11 attacks - GZERO Media ›
- The alternative versions of 9/11 - GZERO Media ›
- Enter China, exit policeman: How the world has changed since 9/11 ... ›
- The Graphic Truth: The cost of America's post-9/11 wars - GZERO ... ›
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