U.S. Will Not Be Asking The Taliban For Permission To Strike ISIS Or Al Qaeda Terror Groups In Afghanistan

An Air Force pilot prepares equipment inside the cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft before a sortie in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Southwest Asia. The U.S. will not seek Taliban permission to conduct such strikes in Afghanistan going forward. (Senior Airman Joshua Kleinholz/Air Force) 

 Military Times: US won’t be asking Taliban permission to strike terror groups in Afghanistan 

When U.S. Central Command authorizes strikes against groups like ISIS-K or al Qaida in Afghanistan, they won’t be negotiating with the Taliban about where and when they can drop bombs. 

While the U.S. generally negotiates agreements with countries where it conducts strikes, the Pentagon considers Afghanistan essentially a free space, following the collapse of its elected government in August. 

“We retain all necessary authorities to execute over-the-horizon counterterrorism operations, and we remain confident in these capabilities moving forward,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Military Times on Friday. 

“Without speaking to specific rules of engagement surrounding air strikes, there is currently no requirement to clear airspace with the Taliban, and we do not expect that any future over-the-horizon counterterrorism strikes would hinge on such a clearance.”  

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Update #1: US Won’t Be Asking Taliban Permission to Launch Future Airstrikes in Afghanistan (Antiwar.com) 

Update #2: Pentagon: No Need to Coordinate Airstrikes with Taliban (TOLO News)  

Update #3: Pentagon Says It Will Not Clear Anti-Terrorist Airstrikes in Afghanistan with Taliban (Newsweek)  

WNU Editor: The Taliban and Al Qaeda are allies. Striking Al Qaeda will be like striking the Taliban. 

So much for President Biden's promise that the war is over.  It is not over. It is just entering a different phase.