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Federal Threat Alert Before Biden’s Speech to Congress Backed by Chicago Terror Research  (Chuck Goudie et al., ABC7)
A new federal threat assessment is raising security concerns on the eve of President Joe Biden’s first speech to a Joint Session of Congress. Wednesday, it will have been 16 weeks since the United States Capitol was attacked and pillaged by violent insurrectionists. On the eve of President Biden’s appearance, a threat alert from the National Capital Region Threat Intelligence Consortium is warning that similar antagonists could strike again. Since the January 6th attack, about 400 people from almost every state — including Illinois—have been arrested. The new federal threat assessment by U.S. intelligence bluntly predicts “those who do not accept the legitimacy of the current administration may see the JSOC as the next available flashpoint for action.” The JSOC is the abbreviation for President Biden’s speech Wednesday night before a joint session of Congress. “These far-right adherents, whether they’re affiliated with the group or not, are riding that wave of wave of momentum that they got from January 6th. So I think in the near future I think it’s justified before the FBI and the security agencies to be aware that these groups and individuals are out there and are likely plotting things,” said Kurt Braddock, Assistant Professor, American University.

Biden’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan Is a Decision to Lose  (James Dobbins, The Hill)
The result of a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan will be a blow to American credibility, weakening of deterrence and the value of American reassurance elsewhere. It will also result in an increased terrorist threat emanating from the Afghan region, and the distinct possibility of a necessary return there one day under worse conditions.

Biden’s Afghan Gamble  (Bruce Riedel, Brookings)
President Biden has made a big decision on Afghanistan, with significant risks. After much consideration, I believe he has done the right thing — but it’s a big gamble. It will have particularly serious consequences for Pakistani behavior.

Al-Qaeda ‘Shadow of Former Self’ Decade after Bin Laden Death  (France24)
Ten years after the killing of its founder Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda bears little resemblance to the terror network that struck the US on September 11, 2001, but remains a threat even under a starkly different leadership structure. After his killing in Pakistan by US special forces, Bin Laden was succeeded as Al-Qaeda’s chief by the Egyptian jihadist Ayman