GSL 2

there is no single accepted definition for terrorism, generally,

terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation as a tactic or strategy
to inspire fear and cause terror to further political or social
objectives.1 Terrorism is a problem that captivates the entire
international community. Its consequences are both short- and long-
term, ranging from the extreme loss of life to the destruction of a
country’s infrastructure, and the demoralization of a society. The
fall of Kabul to the Taliban has been expected
since former U.S. President Donald Trump signed
an agreement that set the terms for a U.S.
withdrawal from Afghanistan. In Iraq, the other
country in the region that hosts a large presence of
U.S. military forces, some are already fearful that
they could be next to be abandoned.

The need for alliances not based on the United

States may lead Saudi Arabia and other regional
factors to strengthen their security ties with Israel.
Security relations between some of the Gulf states
and Israel are of course nothing new: Riyadh and
Jerusalem have cooperated covertly for years,
mostly around security issues and intelligence-
sharing. However, the turn to Israel for closer
security ties is not limited to Arab states.
As experts in a recent simulation argued, a
Taliban-controlled Afghanistan poses multiple
security risks for India as such a scenario is
assessed to be a major gain for Pakistan. With a
reduced U.S. footprint in South Asia, an
emboldened Taliban, and greater Pakistani
influence in the region, India may very likely wish
to increase its already strong security ties with
Israel mm Here, again, Israel may prove to be a
more reliable security partner than the United
States.
a

Israeli officials are nervously watching the situation in Afghanistan,

with a belief that the collapse of the government over the weekend
will enable Al-Qaida to renew its efforts to perform terror attacks
against both American and Israeli targets around the world. In
private talks with top Israeli defense and political sources alike, the
view was echoed that the US drawing down in the region and the
fall of Afghanistan, combined with ongoing aggression from Iran and
political instability in Lebanon, all tie together into a potential
regional bonfire. One senior source even raised concerns that
Jordan or Iraq “be thrown away in one well planned act of the
extreme jihad.” The effect on the Middle East will be bad,” said
Amos Yadlin, a retired Maj. Gen. who served as the Israeli Defense
Force’s chief of military intelligence. “Every country in the region
like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain that considered itself an ally of
the US understands now that it cannot rely on the US in a military
crisis. This clear conclusion may result in a situation where these
countries will enhance their defense relations with Russia and
China.”