The Special Operations Association of America (SOAA) has penned an open letter to policymakers to highlight concerns about the “heightened risk of terrorist attacks against targets inside the United States and both U.S. and allied interests abroad.”
The letter, signed by multiple members of the SOAA Board, states that the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan has created a void in which anti-American terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, are once again thriving.
In an article titled “A Call for Vigilance: Rising Terror Threats and Global Instability Post-Afghanistan Withdrawal,” the SOAA shares some stark facts and figures about the state of affairs since the U.S. withdrew from the region in July 2021. These include:
- Nine U.S. Embassies around the globe have been ordered to evacuate
- 183 ongoing conflicts at the end of 2023 – the highest in 30 years
- 20+ new terrorist organizations under Taliban leadership in Afghanistan
The article also shares the threats facing U.S. borders since 2021, such as:
- Customs and Border Patrol’s almost 200,000 encounters a month at U.S. Southern border
- Two million ‘gotaways’ in the last three years
- A 2,147% increase in Chinese nationals attempting to illegally cross the border between April 2022-April 2024
- Navy base gates stop Foreign nationals attempting to infiltrate US Military facilities two or three times a week
The open letter’s closing paragraphs are a worrying read:
“The Terrorism warning lights are blinking red again – echoes of the run-up to 9/11,” it says, quoting former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mike Morell.
“Time is not on our side and urgent executive action is needed to address this ever-increasing threat to U.S. national security, our families, our allies, and our homeland,” it concludes.
