As the nation marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11, jihadists were celebrating the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media that former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell said on Sunday.

The Taliban’s swift takeover in Afghanistan as U.S. troops pulled out inspired jihadists all over the world, Morell told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

“The Taliban is saying we just didn’t defeat the United States; we defeated NATO. We defeated the world’s greatest military power ever,” he said. “So there’s a celebration going on.”

He added that the Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in a stunning series of events last month, “is harboring Al Qaeda today.”

The terrorist group’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared in a video released on Saturday, months after rumors spread that he was dead.