UN and Russia worry that Islamic State is in Afghanistan

[webfact]

UN and Russia worry that Islamic State is in Afghanistan
By EDITH M. LEDERER

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. envoy in Afghanistan said Monday that recent reports indicate the Islamic State extremist group has established a foothold in Afghanistan, a view echoed by Russia which urged the Security Council to stop its expansion.

Nicholas Haysom told the council the assessment of the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan is that the Islamic State group hasn't stuck "firm roots" in the country. But he said the mission is concerned because of its potential "to offer an alternative flagpole to which otherwise isolated insurgent splinter groups can rally."

Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Moscow is worried about the rise of the terrorist threat in Afghanistan and the broadening of the Islamic State group's geographical activities which are "spreading a radical Islam."

In urging council action against the expansion of the extremist group, Safronkov said Russia is worried about "increasingly frequent reports of the worsening situation in the north of Afghanistan," in areas bordering countries which were once Soviet republics and remain "our friends and allies."

He said extremists in the once quiet north are actively engaging in propaganda activities and recruiting, and are setting up camp.

"The states of the region have legitimate concerns about this turn of events," Safronkov said. "Turning it into yet another safe haven for fighters and extremists is categorically unacceptable."

Afghanistan's U.N. Ambassador Zahir Tanin agreed that there are reports of the Islamic State group penetrating more areas including Afghanistan "but the main enemy we face is the Taliban that continue to fight against us." He added that there may also be "some splinter groups with more extreme orientations."

All three spoke at an open meeting where the Security Council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan until March 17, 2016.

The resolution adopted by the council calls on the Afghan government, with help from the international community, to continue to tackle threats from the Taliban, al-Qaida, other extremist groups and drug traders. It does not mention the Islamic State group by name.

After the former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Muslim insurgents helped oust the Soviet military. The insurgents, many turned warlords, then turned their guns on each other which led to the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan and offering a haven for al-Qaida. The Islamic State is an offshoot of al-Qaida.

Haysom, Safronkov and Tanin all stressed the importance of reconciliation to bring peace to Afghanistan.

The Security Council resolution stressed the importance of an "Afghan led and Afghan-owned" political process to support reconciliation for all those who renounce violence, have no link to terrorist groups and respect the constitution including the rights of women.

Tanin said the peace and reconciliation process is the government's first priority, especially at this time "when violence affects increasing numbers of civilians and when the crippling triple threat of terrorism, extremism and criminality threatens to undermine the future of the Afghan people and the wider region."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-17

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

It surprises me how Afghanistan has the reputation as being the "Graveyard of Empires" as they have always toppled those who have tried to conquer them. Yet they always seem to be able to be overrun by the Taliban or other Islam based extremists. Maybe they just don't mind being conquered as long as you are Muslim?

I say again, the West should stay out and let these ungrateful infidel haters fight their own battles.

If the US didn't destabilize the whole region noen of this would be going on right now anyway.

The more we help the more they hate us. Time to back out of the area and show these people who they really need to focus their hate and venom on......Their own religion and their own clerics that keep them in the stone age, NOT the West that tries in vain to pull them out of it!!!!

[kalbz]

We never went there to help them. It's just part of the US chess game to surround China & Russia with US bases.

[NeverSure]

If the US didn't destabilize the whole region noen of this would be going on right now anyway.

Russia was fighting in Afghanistan before the US was. 9/11 was some Saudi guys and Saudi didn't get destabilized.

These Islamists are horrible and it's about time to blame their behavior on them. This has been building for a long time.

[Kerryd]

Tick tock, too late. At least one major group has already declared allegiance to ISIS and no doubt others will follow, especially if they look like they are on the "winning" side.

The only way there will ever be peace in that country is if some very strong, very heavy-handed conqueror takes control and literally crushes any and all opposition. Assuming he could do that (and not be bombed into history by "the west" shortly thereafter), then maybe things would settle down. Mullah Omar's group (the Taliban) came close after the Russians were kicked out, but wasn't able to conquer the northern part of the country (controlled by Massoud). (The Taliban had Massoud assassinated 2 days before 9/11. One theory is that the Taliban knew 9/11 was going to happen and that there would be "consequences". They didn't want the West/USA teaming up with Massoud and then crushing the Taliban. It pretty much happened anyways, but without too much involvement at all from Massoud's "Northern Alliance".)

Of course, it would all depend on who the conqueror was and how he ruled. Omar's Taliban were really no different than the "rebels" that ousted Qaddafi in Libya, or the ones fighting in Syria, or the ones that make up ISIS now. Poorly trained, poorly educated, poorly led and poorly disciplined. Each man with a gun was judge, jury and executioner if the mood was on him. Great for terrorizing an unarmed population, not so great for retaining power in the long run. If you can't control your own people then sooner or later they will turn on you.

With the withdrawal of most of the western forces, and their associated aid organizations, there is very little income for the government. Western countries are funding the government, the military and the police. Most of the infrastructure support (bridges, roads, electrical grid, etc) is done by NGOs and foreign funding. When that dries up (as it already is doing) Afghanistan becomes (again) an impoverished 4th world country rife with dissent, disease and crime. Fertile ground for growing just 2 things, poppies and terrorists.

[arjunadawn]

Once again, the TV posters should be paid to do the wire service news. We consistently report these events weeks before the news services do. Only a moron would not know ISIS is already in Afghanistan.

[KhnomKhnom]

New headline..... MUSLIMS WORRY THAT CHRISTIAN STATE IS IN USA.

[micmichd]

Afghanistan is not a very homogeneous nation.

Different ethnicities fight each other until they feel threatened by foreigners. If threatened they stick together behind what is supposed to be the strongest power against intruders.

There might be as well an internal fight be coming, between Arab IS and Pashtuni Taliban.

Third parties or armies better stay out.

[micmichd]

It surprises me how Afghanistan has the reputation as being the "Graveyard of Empires" as they have always toppled those who have tried to conquer them. Yet they always seem to be able to be overrun by the Taliban or other Islam based extremists. Maybe they just don't mind being conquered as long as you are Muslim?

I say again, the West should stay out and let these ungrateful infidel haters fight their own battles.

If the US didn't destabilize the whole region noen of this would be going on right now anyway.

The more we help the more they hate us. Time to back out of the area and show these people who they really need to focus their hate and venom on......Their own religion and their own clerics that keep them in the stone age, NOT the West that tries in vain to pull them out of it!!!!

Unwanted help is a fine way to become an enemy.

Edited March 17, 2015 by micmichd

[arjunadawn]

Afghanistan is not a very homogeneous nation.

Different ethnicities fight each other until they feel threatened by foreigners. If threatened they stick together behind what is supposed to be the strongest power against intruders.

There might be as well an internal fight be coming, between Arab IS and Pashtuni Taliban.

Third parties or armies better stay out.

Obviously you know your stuff but I dont think it will result in significant population shifts of others into Afghan. I think ISIS loyalty or bay'ah from Taliban, etc. would effectively be no more than a tribute arrangement, not requiring many outsiders at all, unless they turn their attention to attacking remaining US there. I would not. I would attack less and attack US interests more elsewhere, more widely dispersed. Better for US to pull out of Afghanistan so IS can facilitate some dramatic arising from Afghanistan fiasco. It is important that any caliph at some point be seen with a connection to Khorasan, I believe.

Being non contiguous one would think an Afghan bay'ah would be as useful as boko harem allegiance; I dont think so. Afghanistan is far more important as this is Khorasan! The prophecy of the caliph coming out of Khorasan is part of almost every imagination in this region.

[Rancid]

Let us not forget of course who trained and armed the Afghan Muslims in the first place and got the whole thing started. How many battle hardened islamists did that create.

And today Obama finally admitted that the US invasion of Iraq created ISIS.

Is it all accidental from the cause and effect of inept policy or deliberate, who knows.

[ggt]

Don't worry about it...they are Everywhere...formulate a plan to deal with them before it is too late...

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

If the US didn't destabilize the whole region noen of this would be going on right now anyway.

Russia was fighting in Afghanistan before the US was. 9/11 was some Saudi guys and Saudi didn't get destabilized.

These Islamists are horrible and it's about time to blame their behavior on them. This has been building for a long time.

When Russia was there, the US sent them all kinds of arms including surface to air missiles to take out the helicopters. That was the turning point for the Russian defeat and was the beginning of the Taliban, which the US helped to create!!

Watch the movie Charley Wilsons war.

[micmichd]

Afghanistan was a rather peaceful country when it was a kingdom. Sometimes a bit weird, all kinds of Farang rumours how dangerous some areas would be, but real friendly people after all.

And then the Soviets and US came and made it a battlefield for their "Cold War".

Hope they've learned their lesson: Hands off Afghanistan!

[billd766]

Afghanistan was a rather peaceful country when it was a kingdom. Sometimes a bit weird, all kinds of Farang rumours how dangerous some areas would be, but real friendly people after all.

And then the Soviets and US came and made it a battlefield for their "Cold War".

Hope they've learned their lesson: Hands off Afghanistan!

In the history of Afghanistan going back several hundred years ago it has ALWAYS been a battlefield for someone and whan the Afghanis ran out of foreign invaders they quite happily killed each other. Russia was an invader during the 1800s as was India, Iran, the UK and many other invaders. It was a gateway to India and an important country on the Silk Road to China before the USA and Russia were even countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Afghanistan

A poem about the young British soldier by Rudyard Kipling and the last part is about Afghanistan.

http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_youngbrit.htm

[micmichd]

Don't forget that IS is an Arabic invention, and for Khorasan the history of fights against Arabic invasions is long.

There might be a slight danger for Afghanistan and the surrounding areas that the whole region could be divided into two parts: Khorasan including Turkmenistan, Tadschikistan and Usbekistan, and Pashtunistan including North West Pakistan. That might be the point behind the warning of the Afghan government.

But a joint venture between Arabic IS and Turkmenistan / Tadshikistan / Usbekistan?

Guess not many Afghans would accept a foreign regime.

[micmichd]

Maybe Afghans are passionate warriors and need a target to be happy.

Why not IS as target?