Ayman al Zawahiri's death evinces a tactical win but also a broader strategic loss

The killing on Saturday of al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri serves the causes of justice and global security. It is a tactical counterterrorism victory that accrues strategic benefit via a weakened al Qaeda.

Still, that Zawahiri was killed after months of residence in the Afghan capital of Kabul evinces a broader strategic loss in terms of U.S. security. It proves the increasing confidence of the Taliban and al Qaeda in reconstituting their traditional, formal relationship as ideological and practical allies.

The Taliban explicitly disavowed this relationship as part of the Trump administration-negotiated Doha agreement of February 2020. In return, the United States agreed to withdraw all U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. The Biden administration completed that withdrawal in August 2021, even though it was clear that the Taliban continued to engage with al Qaeda.