By hastily withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, U.S. President Joe Biden has made a grave mistake, or so many argue.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, has called the Taliban’s swift takeover of the country an “even worse sequel to the humiliating fall of Saigon in 1975.” That sequel, top U.S. generals, conservatives and even some liberals predict, will be characterized by the resurgence of transnational terrorism.

The prediction is straightforward. As an Islamist militant group, the Taliban will inevitably provide al-Qaida — and potentially other extremist groups, such as the Islamic State (ISIS) — with a sanctuary to recruit, train and plan attacks against the West.