United Nations report shows Osama bin Laden’s son met with Taliban in late 2021

A newly-released report by the United Nations Security Council showed the son of slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden met with Taliban officials in October of 2021, just after the United States’ military evacuation of Afghanistan and the subsequent Taliban takeover.

According to the report, the meeting of bin Laden’s son and the Taliban shows the links between the two terrorist networks is strong.

The report also says terrorist organizations enjoy more freedom in Afghanistan now, under Taliban rule, than they ever have before, in spite of assurances last year by the Taliban that it would work to drive terrorists out of Afghanistan.

The al-Qaeda have maintained what the report calls a ‘strategic silence’ regarding the Taliban, likely in an attempt not to hamper the takeover of Afghanistan by the group. Currently, the Security Council reports, al-Qaeda does not have the capability to launch any high-scale attacks overseas.

The report is published twice a year by the United Nations Security Council in an effort to keep abreast of the most effective sanctions and other measures against militant groups.