Al-Qaida death reveals uncomfortable Afghan truths

Significance

Three al-Qaida members were reportedly killed in Ghazni province on August 6, again by a missile fired from a US unmanned aerial vehicle. At a time when the Taliban government was trying to persuade Washington to unlock Afghan reserves, hosting Zawahiri so openly was bound to invite US retaliation and disrupt the relationship.

Impacts

• The choice of Zawahiri's successor may affect al-Qaida's relationship with the Taliban, especially if he is based outside Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan's neighbours have kept silent since Zawahiri's death but are likely to be puzzled by the Taliban's policy choices.
• Islamabad has been accused of tipping Washington off; true or not, it is clearly allowing US drones to overfly its territory.
• Biden benefits in terms of image but not from the Taliban embarrassing themselves.