[Tolo News] A recent report released by the Pentagon in Washington D.C. states that Daesh is expanding in Afghanistan and preparing to confront the Taliban.According to the report, the Taliban are also monitoring Daesh's activities, and the two groups have already faced off in confrontation on several occasions.
Based on comments by senior U.S. officials, it appears Washington's continued involvement in training, advising and supporting the Afghan cops has taken on a new objective in combating the expansion of Daesh. "ISIS's lasting defeat still requires forces to fight and prevail on the ground," U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said. "We can and will continue to develop and enable such local forces."
Yet the Pentagon report warns that the Taliban's insurgency must not be underestimated, as the Haqqani Network still poses a major threat to the United States and Afghanistan.
Separately, there have been reports in the media that Iran has started supporting the Taliban in order to defeat Daesh in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, Tehran has categorically and repeatedly denied the allegations.
No, no! Certainly not!
In an exclusive interview with TOLOnews this week, Muhammad Reza Bahrami, the Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan, said an alliance between Iran and the Taliban would be bad for everyone involved. "Iran and the Taliban have no relations," Ambassador Bahrami said. "In Iran's security policy, relations with terrorist groups have not been defined; any relations with these groups would be a loss for Iran, the region and beyond."
Echoing that sentiment, U.S. Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, has said the only way to resolve the issues in Afghanistan and the broader region is through cooperation among governments. "Stability must be cultivated from inside out, and, importantly, owned by regional stakeholders," Gen. Dempsey said. "The potential transformation of the region will be achieved over time by and through our regional partners."
For now, however, the battle against Daesh in Afghanistan is predominately taking place on a local, provincial level. On Thursday, Farah Governor Muhammad Asef Nang said his province had been ridden of Daesh affiliates.
The Taliban recently sent a highly-publicized letter to Daesh leaders emphasized that there is no need for a new front in Afghanistan. The letter warned that if Daesh forces open a new battlefront, then they could face strong opposition by the Taliban.