It is worth considering what kind of influence Al-Qaeda might have on the Taliban. This is a difficult question, since it also touches on religious debates and the concept of extremism and its application. Perhaps Al-Qaeda can contribute to the creation of a political climate inside Afghanistan that tolerates the proliferation of small terror groups, which can nurture a culture of domestic terror, particularly when applied against the opponents of the Taliban, such as women, the ethnic Tajiks, Uzbeks and Turkmen, and others. There will not be an official alliance between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, but there could be a great deal of cooperation between the two. This undoubtedly represents a challenge to global security that the Biden administration must urgently address. Al-Qaeda can use Afghanistan as a base to launch terror attacks against targets in the region. The national security of many Arab countries should now be monitored due to the degree of possible cooperation between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, since the latter is less likely to launch attacks in the West. An Al-Qaeda focus on the Middle East region will lead to many crises, so they must be forestalled. Maria Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist, broadcaster, publisher and writer. She holds an MA in Political Sociology from the University of Lyon. Twitter: @bilarakib