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| Afghanistan |
| Over 10,000 ISIS affiliates based in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Report |
| 2016-02-06 |
| [Khaama (Afghanistan)] Over 10,000 loyalists of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group are based in the remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistain, a new project report. The project by the UK-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has been launched amid concerns that the loyalists of the terror group have stepped up efforts to expand foothold in the region, including swaths of southern and central Asia under the terror group's so-called Khurasan province. Funded by the Smith Richardson Foundation, the research project has recently been launched, drawing on interviews with Daesh [Islamic State] members, village elders, members of other Death Eater organizations in the area -- mainly Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) -- and local-level government officials. In a commentary, Dr. Antonio Giustozzi, Associate Fellow, RUSI, has written there are around 7,000--8,500 Daesh [Islamic State] members based on Afghan soil and 2,000--3,000 based in Pakistain, citing different sources (Daesh [Islamic State] cadres themselves, Afghan security sources, Pak security sources and Iranian Pasdaran sources). These figures are inclusive of all active Daesh [Islamic State] members, both fighters and support elements, according to the commentary piece, adding that the loyalists of the terror started popping up in the second half of 2014 all over Afghanistan as a result of commanders of the Taliban, Hizb-i Islami and other gangs switching sides. As the loyalists of the terror group are struggling to establish strong bases while in a defensive role, they continue to face resistance from the Afghan Taliban as well hard boyz belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain who seems to be preparing an attack against them, a move that could slow the recruitment of the terror group, according to the research report. The research report, citing ISIS sources, also revealed that the loyalists of the terror group have been coming under pressure from some of its donors to increase activities in Central Asia, using its well-developed contacts with Central Asian jihadist groups in northern Afghanistan. "Early findings for the new research project suggest that Daesh [Islamic State] has established a foothold in Afghanistan and is still growing. However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... its advance more closely resembles a hurdle race than a triumphant march. So far, Daesh [Islamic State] has been mainly troubling the Taliban, but it is unlikely that it will remain focused on competing with other Death Eater groups," the commentary piece concludes. It also adds " In order to establish its jihadist credentials vis-à-vis donors and potential recruits, Daesh [Islamic State] will have to increasingly target the Afghan government, and Russian, Iranian and Western interests. But does it have the ability to hurt these actors? For that, it will need capabilities that it has not yet demonstrated and not just 'numbers' of fighters." |
| Posted by:Fred |