Inhofe Statement on Death of Ayman al-Zawahiri

Press Release

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement on news that the United States killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri:

"The world is better off without al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and I commend the brave men and women who helped bring about his demise. The fact that he was killed in Afghanistan, however, reflects the total failure of the Biden administration's policy towards that country.

"President Biden's decision to unconditionally withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan last summer removed all pressure on the Taliban, and the Taliban responded by seizing Kabul and breaking its commitment under the 2020 Doha Agreement to deny safe haven to al-Qaeda. Since last year, Biden administration officials have insisted that al-Qaeda's residual presence in Afghanistan was insignificant and that al-Qaeda lacks the capability to attack the homeland anytime soon. But we now know that its top leader was living in Kabul. We're also seeing evidence that terrorists in Afghanistan and beyond, including in Africa, have been emboldened by this administration's failed policies.

"The good news is, the U.S. government still has the capability to target these terrorists, though it's clearly far more difficult under President Biden's policies -- we've made no similar strikes for nearly a year. Since President Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer, our visibility into Afghanistan remains low, while the Taliban's willingness to harbor senior terrorists remains robust. I urge the Biden administration to inform Congress how it intends to bolster its surveillance of these terrorists so we can stay ahead of these threats, rather than continuing the policy of hoping that the Taliban will abide by its commitments when there is nothing compelling it to do so."

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