Afghanistan: 25 Years After 9/11. On the Brink of Another Crisis?

Afghanistan: 25 Years After 9/11. On the Brink of Another Crisis?

From War Studies by Department of War Studies

May 27, 2026 · 55 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the state of Afghanistan nearly 25 years after 9/11 and the potential resurgence of international terrorism under Taliban rule.

In this episode, Colin Smith, co-ordinator of the UN Security Council’s 1267/1988 Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, joins Tim Willasey-Wilsey, King’s Visiting Professor, Graham Aikin, PhD researcher at King’s, and Dr Paul McGarr, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, to examine Afghanistan nearly 25 years after 9/11 and assess whether it is again becoming a base for international terrorism under Taliban rule. The discussion explores the presence of groups such as al-Qaeda, ISIL-K and regional militants, the Taliban’s internal dynamics, and how the global terrorist threat has become more fragmented and decentralised. It also considers evolving radicalisation pathways, the role of new technologies and the challenges facing Western counterterrorism policy. Further reading: 1. UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Monitoring Team Reports: https://bit.ly/4fAnGs3 2. UN Security Council 1988 Sanctions Monitoring Team Reports: https://bit.ly/4dzibc5 3. The British and 9/11: So Near and Yet So Far by Tim Willasey-Wilsey: https://bit.ly/3RGzmzH 4. 'Not your fathers Afghanistan': Has the West taken its eye off the al-Qaeda ball? by Graham Aikin: https://bit.ly/49Jgk1O 5. Operation…

People in this episode

Guests: Colin Smith, Tim Willasey-Wilsey, Graham Aikin, Dr Paul McGarr

Topics covered

  • Afghanistan
  • international terrorism
  • Taliban rule
  • global terrorist threat
  • counterterrorism policy
  • radicalisation pathways
  • new technologies

Keywords

  • Afghanistan
  • 9/11
  • Taliban
  • terrorism
  • al-Qaeda
  • ISIL-K
  • counterterrorism
  • radicalisation
  • UN Security Council

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UN Security Council, al-Qaeda, ISIL-K, Taliban, King’s College

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