US 'Reasonably Confident' IS Will Not Strike At US From Afghanistan - Pentagon No.2

The Biden administration remains "reasonably confident" that the Islamic State (banned in Russia) will not strike at, or be allowed to attack the United States, from Afghanistan, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st October, 2021) The Biden administration remains "reasonably confident" that the Islamic State (banned in Russia) will not strike at, or be allowed to attack the United States, from Afghanistan, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said on Friday.

"I am reasonably confident that ISIS will not have a clearly manifested threat against the United States from Afghanistan," Hicks told a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) podcast.

US military forces and intelligence-gathering assets remained focused on monitoring potential threats and preventing any attacks by the Islamic State and other radical Islamist groups emanating from Afghan territory or elsewhere, Hicks explained.

"(What) we are focused on in Afghanistan is preventing terrorist attacks that are (targeted at) US citizens and protecting ourselves from those kinds of attacks. For Al Qaeda (banned in Russia) we will keep a laser focus and the Taliban (banned in Russia) made a commitment on Doha they would not allow such activities against our interests and that is still important," she said.

The US armed forces remained prepared to respond swiftly to where it sees threats against the United States, its citizens and its national interests emanating from Afghanistan and elsewhere, Hicks added.