Joe Biden’s nominee for CENTCOM Lt General Erik Kurrila said there are pragmatic instances where the US and the Taliban can come together and fight the ISIS-K and take out the terrorists’ targets in Afghanistan.

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During his nomination hearing before the Senate on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, Erik Kurrila said that despite the drawdown of American forces from Afghanistan, they will still be able to conduct over-the-horizon operations and hit Al-Qaida and ISIS targets in the country.

"over-the-horizon" counter-terrorism operations - strikes launched from another country or an aircraft carrier - in Afghanistan against ISIS and Al Qaeda targets are "difficult, but not impossible" after the US drawdown." Said the CENTCOM nominee.

General Erik Kurrila said that the US has conducted no airstrike since their full withdrawal on August 30 last year.

Though the Biden administration has repeatedly said that they will retain abilities in the region to strike Al-Qaida and ISIS-K targets in Afghanistan, the nominee said that they need at least one sensor on the target to have it eliminated.

General Kurrila is also dubious about flying through Pakistan as it will pose challenges but acknowledged that Islamabad has several incentives to cooperate in this regard.

Kurrila added that fear of Pakistan from instability in the region and the threat of Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are the reasons based on which Islamabad will not deny its airspace to the US.