07-17-2018, 10:48 PM
*** 18-Jul-18 World View -- Fighting between Taliban and ISIS-K escalates in Afghanistan
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** ISIS-K claims credit for killing 15 Taliban, including commander
****
![[Image: g180717b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180717b.jpg)
Afghan Taliban militants (AFP)
"ISIS Khorasan" (ISIS-K, "Wilayah Khorasan"), the Afghanistan branch
of ISIS, is claiming credit for attacking the house of a Taliban
commander in the eastern province of Nangarhar of Afghanistan, killing
15 Taliban militants, including the commander, known as Saba Gul or
Mohammad Khorasani.
Fighting between the Taliban and ISIS-K has significantly escalated in
recent weeks, as the vie for control of the country's east, along the
border with Pakistan. In June, ISIS-K claimed the killing of 25
people with a suicide bombing at a gathering of Taliban members and
local people in Nangarhar province during the three-day Eid
ceasefire.
The Taliban launched offensives in the region late in June, claiming
that they had cleared out bases of ISIS-K fighters in nearby villages.
Dozens of fighters on both sides were killed, as hundreds of civilians
were forced to flee the fighting between the two groups, as the
clashes carried on for several days.
One unnamed ISIS fighter was quoted as saying:
<QUOTE>"Yes the war between the Afghan Taliban and Islamic
State branch in Khorasan has escalated. More attacks and more
casualties, but in war there are casualties. [The Taliban] are
not able to get firm control over [the areas they recapture]
because soon they will be repelled back by the fighters of Islamic
State."<END QUOTE>
The Taliban in the past have been reluctant to publicize their clashes
with ISIS, believing it risks exaggerating the power of the group.
But that's changing now, as ISIS-K becomes more prominent.
An unnamed Taliban source says:
<QUOTE>"The Taliban hit ISIS fighters hard and finished their
presence in Laghman, while ISIS fighters were also killed in Kunar
and Nangarhar. The Taliban will deal with them with an iron hand
in future because they are exceeding their activities in the
region. ...
ISIS has presented a negative image of Islam and created an
environment of fear among the Muslims.
[ISIS attacked the Taliban] under the pretext of Islamic Shariah
law and calling Taliban apostates thus creating confusion among
the locals and other supporters of Afghan Taliban. In this way
they are paving the way for the US and allied forces to create
cracks in the unity of the Afghan Taliban, but so far they
failed."<END QUOTE>
The Taliban claim that ISIS fighters are distracting the Taliban from
completing their mission -- to defeat the US-led coalition. Reuters and The National (UAE)
****
**** Fighting between Taliban and ISIS-K escalates in Afghanistan
****
The Afghan government estimates that there are as many as 3,000
foreign fighters in ISIS-K in Afghanistan, many of them coming from
Pakistan and Uzbekistan. However, accurate estimates are difficult
because the Taliban and other militant groups are fluid, and
members often move from one group to another.
ISIS-K fighters began appearing in Afghanistan in 2015, when ISIS in
Syria and Iraq was considered highly stylish and fashionable among the
atrocity-committing set. Many Taliban militants switched allegiance
to ISIS because it was a better brand name, newer and more exciting.
They were joined by foreign fighters from Uzbekistan and other
countries. Starting in 2016, especially as ISIS came under attack in
Iraq and Syria, foreign fighters who had gone to Syria to fight
against Bashar al-Assad began to return to other countries, including
Afghanistan, to continue the fight.
It's not believed that there was ever much communication between
ISIS-K and ISIS leaders in Iraq and Syria, as the relationship is more
like a shared brand name. To some extent, there is a parallel between
Syria and Afghanistan, as local militants in the two countries join
al-Qaeda and the Taliban, respectively, while foreign fighters join
ISIS.
In both cases, the local and ISIS militants have conflicting
objectives. Generally speaking, the local militants have purely local
nationalist objectives, while the ISIS militants have the objective of
establishing a multinational caliphate.
In Syria, the local militant group is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and
they spent years fighting alongside moderate rebels to defeat Bashar
al-Assad. ISIS, on the other hand, established a caliphate in Raqqa
and took control of as much territory as possible, in Syria and Iraq.
Bashar al-Assad and its principal backers in Russia and Iran
indirectly supported ISIS by not targeting them, because ISIS was
fighting the moderate rebels who were also al-Assad's enemies. It was
left to the American forces, backing the Kurds and Iraqis, to finally
expel ISIS from Raqqa and Mosul, and that fight is still going on.
In Afghanistan, the situation is similar. The Taliban are radicalized
ethnic Pashtuns, fighting against their old enemies from the 1990s
civil war, the Northern Alliance of Uzbeks, Tajiks and Hazaras.
ISIS-K are foreign fighters and disaffected Taliban fighters who have
pledged allegiance to ISIS in the name of the great multinational
caliphate fantasy. The Taliban, on the other hand, have set as their
primary objective forcing the US-led coalition to withdraw.
In terms of theology, ISIS considers the local nationalists to be
apostates, mainly because they make alliances with other ISIS enemies,
such as Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. However,
ISIS saves its strongest vitriol for the Shia Muslims, as in this
statement from January 2016:
<QUOTE>"Initiated by a sly Jew, [the Shia] are an apostate
sect drowning in worship of the dead, cursing the best companions
and wives of the Prophet, spreading doubt on the very basis of the
religion (the Koran and the Sunnah), defaming the very honor of
the Prophet , and preferring their “twelve” imams to the prophets
and even to Allah! ... Thus, the Rafidah [another word for Shias]
are mushrik [polytheist] apostates who must be killed wherever
they are to be found, until no Rafidi walks on the face of earth,
even if the jihad claimants despise such."<END QUOTE>
In Afghanistan, many analysts believe that ISIS poses a greater threat
today than the Taliban. There have been big spikes in terrorist
violence in the last few months, and this is attributed to a
competition between the two groups.
The strongest fighting force within the Taliban is the Haqqani
network, which has been blamed for the most audacious attacks in
Kabul. The Haqqani network has historical ties to Pakistan’s powerful
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency. VOA (18-Nov-2017) and Washington Post (21-Mar-2018) and The Diplomat (29-Jan-2016) and Military Times
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Afghanistan, Kabul, Nangarhar,
Amaq, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Raqqa, Iraq, Mosul,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Pashtuns, Taliban, Northern Alliance, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbekistan,
ISIS Khorasan, Wilayah Khorasan, ISIS-K, ISKP, Pakistan,
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, HTS, Jaysh al-Islam, Army of Islam
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- ISIS-K claims credit for killing 15 Taliban, including commander
- Fighting between Taliban and ISIS-K escalates in Afghanistan
****
**** ISIS-K claims credit for killing 15 Taliban, including commander
****
Afghan Taliban militants (AFP)
"ISIS Khorasan" (ISIS-K, "Wilayah Khorasan"), the Afghanistan branch
of ISIS, is claiming credit for attacking the house of a Taliban
commander in the eastern province of Nangarhar of Afghanistan, killing
15 Taliban militants, including the commander, known as Saba Gul or
Mohammad Khorasani.
Fighting between the Taliban and ISIS-K has significantly escalated in
recent weeks, as the vie for control of the country's east, along the
border with Pakistan. In June, ISIS-K claimed the killing of 25
people with a suicide bombing at a gathering of Taliban members and
local people in Nangarhar province during the three-day Eid
ceasefire.
The Taliban launched offensives in the region late in June, claiming
that they had cleared out bases of ISIS-K fighters in nearby villages.
Dozens of fighters on both sides were killed, as hundreds of civilians
were forced to flee the fighting between the two groups, as the
clashes carried on for several days.
One unnamed ISIS fighter was quoted as saying:
<QUOTE>"Yes the war between the Afghan Taliban and Islamic
State branch in Khorasan has escalated. More attacks and more
casualties, but in war there are casualties. [The Taliban] are
not able to get firm control over [the areas they recapture]
because soon they will be repelled back by the fighters of Islamic
State."<END QUOTE>
The Taliban in the past have been reluctant to publicize their clashes
with ISIS, believing it risks exaggerating the power of the group.
But that's changing now, as ISIS-K becomes more prominent.
An unnamed Taliban source says:
<QUOTE>"The Taliban hit ISIS fighters hard and finished their
presence in Laghman, while ISIS fighters were also killed in Kunar
and Nangarhar. The Taliban will deal with them with an iron hand
in future because they are exceeding their activities in the
region. ...
ISIS has presented a negative image of Islam and created an
environment of fear among the Muslims.
[ISIS attacked the Taliban] under the pretext of Islamic Shariah
law and calling Taliban apostates thus creating confusion among
the locals and other supporters of Afghan Taliban. In this way
they are paving the way for the US and allied forces to create
cracks in the unity of the Afghan Taliban, but so far they
failed."<END QUOTE>
The Taliban claim that ISIS fighters are distracting the Taliban from
completing their mission -- to defeat the US-led coalition. Reuters and The National (UAE)
****
**** Fighting between Taliban and ISIS-K escalates in Afghanistan
****
The Afghan government estimates that there are as many as 3,000
foreign fighters in ISIS-K in Afghanistan, many of them coming from
Pakistan and Uzbekistan. However, accurate estimates are difficult
because the Taliban and other militant groups are fluid, and
members often move from one group to another.
ISIS-K fighters began appearing in Afghanistan in 2015, when ISIS in
Syria and Iraq was considered highly stylish and fashionable among the
atrocity-committing set. Many Taliban militants switched allegiance
to ISIS because it was a better brand name, newer and more exciting.
They were joined by foreign fighters from Uzbekistan and other
countries. Starting in 2016, especially as ISIS came under attack in
Iraq and Syria, foreign fighters who had gone to Syria to fight
against Bashar al-Assad began to return to other countries, including
Afghanistan, to continue the fight.
It's not believed that there was ever much communication between
ISIS-K and ISIS leaders in Iraq and Syria, as the relationship is more
like a shared brand name. To some extent, there is a parallel between
Syria and Afghanistan, as local militants in the two countries join
al-Qaeda and the Taliban, respectively, while foreign fighters join
ISIS.
In both cases, the local and ISIS militants have conflicting
objectives. Generally speaking, the local militants have purely local
nationalist objectives, while the ISIS militants have the objective of
establishing a multinational caliphate.
In Syria, the local militant group is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and
they spent years fighting alongside moderate rebels to defeat Bashar
al-Assad. ISIS, on the other hand, established a caliphate in Raqqa
and took control of as much territory as possible, in Syria and Iraq.
Bashar al-Assad and its principal backers in Russia and Iran
indirectly supported ISIS by not targeting them, because ISIS was
fighting the moderate rebels who were also al-Assad's enemies. It was
left to the American forces, backing the Kurds and Iraqis, to finally
expel ISIS from Raqqa and Mosul, and that fight is still going on.
In Afghanistan, the situation is similar. The Taliban are radicalized
ethnic Pashtuns, fighting against their old enemies from the 1990s
civil war, the Northern Alliance of Uzbeks, Tajiks and Hazaras.
ISIS-K are foreign fighters and disaffected Taliban fighters who have
pledged allegiance to ISIS in the name of the great multinational
caliphate fantasy. The Taliban, on the other hand, have set as their
primary objective forcing the US-led coalition to withdraw.
In terms of theology, ISIS considers the local nationalists to be
apostates, mainly because they make alliances with other ISIS enemies,
such as Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. However,
ISIS saves its strongest vitriol for the Shia Muslims, as in this
statement from January 2016:
<QUOTE>"Initiated by a sly Jew, [the Shia] are an apostate
sect drowning in worship of the dead, cursing the best companions
and wives of the Prophet, spreading doubt on the very basis of the
religion (the Koran and the Sunnah), defaming the very honor of
the Prophet , and preferring their “twelve” imams to the prophets
and even to Allah! ... Thus, the Rafidah [another word for Shias]
are mushrik [polytheist] apostates who must be killed wherever
they are to be found, until no Rafidi walks on the face of earth,
even if the jihad claimants despise such."<END QUOTE>
In Afghanistan, many analysts believe that ISIS poses a greater threat
today than the Taliban. There have been big spikes in terrorist
violence in the last few months, and this is attributed to a
competition between the two groups.
The strongest fighting force within the Taliban is the Haqqani
network, which has been blamed for the most audacious attacks in
Kabul. The Haqqani network has historical ties to Pakistan’s powerful
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency. VOA (18-Nov-2017) and Washington Post (21-Mar-2018) and The Diplomat (29-Jan-2016) and Military Times
Related Articles
- ISIS-K suicide bomber kills over 50 in Kabul, Afghanistan, registering to vote (23-Apr-2018)
- New massive Taliban attack in Kabul Afghanistan kills 95 (28-Jan-2018)
- New reports show that Taliban are gaining territory in Afghanistan (01-Feb-2018)
- Trump promises victory in Afghanistan by redefining 'victory' (23-Aug-2017)
- Brief recent generational history of Afghanistan (25-Jul-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Afghanistan, Kabul, Nangarhar,
Amaq, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Raqqa, Iraq, Mosul,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Pashtuns, Taliban, Northern Alliance, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbekistan,
ISIS Khorasan, Wilayah Khorasan, ISIS-K, ISKP, Pakistan,
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, HTS, Jaysh al-Islam, Army of Islam
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
