The War on Terrorism Isn't Over — It's Moved to Africa
The siege in Mozambique showed that groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS have become sophisticated enough to carry out attacks on the West.
Somali soldier with an eye on al-Shabaab.
Photographer: Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP/Getty Images
If the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan this year, as President Joe Biden has now promised will occur by Sept. 11, it will mark the end of the military intervention that launched America’s two-decade “global war on terror.” It will not, however, end the threat that war was launched to address.
Americans typically view the Middle East as the seedbed of terrorism. But a recent attack in Mozambique underscores that Africa is becoming the central front in the ongoing struggle between terrorist groups and their enemies, even as Washington shifts its attention to other problems.