Taliban may get nuclear weapons due to Afghanistan withdrawal, Bolton warns

“The Taliban in control of Afghanistan threatens the possibility of terrorists taking control of Pakistan,” Former national security advisor John Bolton said.

By Tobias Siegal, World Israel News

Former national security advisor John Bolton slammed President Biden’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan on Sunday and warned about the possibility of the Taliban acquiring nuclear weapons in the future.

In an interview for the WABC 770 radio show, cited by the New York Post, Bolton argued that the Taliban could use its ties with Pakistan to acquire a nuclear capability.

“The Taliban in control of Afghanistan threatens the possibility of terrorists taking control of Pakistan … that means maybe 150 nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists,” he said.

The Biden administration’s handling of the military evacuation from the Kabul airport in Afghanistan has been widely-criticized, often on both ends of the political spectrum. ISIS terrorists were successful in carrying out a suicide bombing attack at Kabul airport partly due to lacking security arrangements and American citizens and allies still remain stranded in the hostile country without a defined plan of getting them out.

Bolton said that the whole process of evacuating Afghanistan was embarrassing and was extremely damaging for the U.S. on the world stage. “[Our allies are] wondering if [Biden] has a grip on his own administration’s foreign policy.”

He noted the benefits that China is expected to gain by the new reality in the Middle East and the international implications that might follow.

“China, which already has a lot of influence in Pakistan, is going to increase its influence and put more pressure on India. This is a big development in that part of the world,” Bolton said.

“I think the United States must look at China and the threat it poses across the board,” he warned. “They’ve been stealing our intellectual property for decades … They discriminate against foreign companies and investors. They manipulate the World Trade Organization. They are building up their military… And they are very aggressive politically.”

He stressed that “the United States needs to come to grips with this threat” and must be ready to wage “a long struggle across the full spectrum of potential power: economic, political and military,” arguing that the Biden administration is not “focused” enough for the task at hand.