The former US Secretary of Defense expressed concern about Afghanistan becoming a terrorist state

The former US Secretary of Defense has said that there are reasons for Afghanistan to become a terrorist state under Taliban control.

“I think the Taliban are a real concern, they have not cut ties with al-Qaeda, and they have continued to do so since they came to power,” former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said to BBC.

Gates stressed that the Taliban would seek help from countries such as China, Russia and Iran. “Because entering Afghanistan gives Beijing access to its minerals and geographical proximity to Iran as part of its belt and road project.”

Robert Gates served as Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and has managed one-third of the 20-year US-led war in Afghanistan.