The global jihadist community has had a mixed reaction to the Taliban’s remarkable sweep to power in Afghanistan.
Al-Qaida — Osama bin Laden’s alma mater — was brimming with enthusiasm, heralding a triumphant new era of Islamic rule that proves jihad, and not the "democracy game,” is the way to achieve power. The al-Qaida linked news agency, the Global Islamic Media Front, released a statement of congratulations that said: "May Allah grant the mujahideen in Somalia, the African Sahel, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan, the Indian subcontinent and everywhere the same victory.”
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant faction in the insurgent-held regions of Syria’s Idlib province, was also impressed, describing the Taliban’s victory as an example of steadfastness in the face of a foreign occupation.