The Coming Carnage Between the Taliban and Their Jihadist Rivals

Source:Bloomberg Date:30Aug2021

The Taliban take-over in Afghanistan  could rekindle the jihadist spirit across the globe. In case of Turkey, the fundamnetalist cells at home have only gone to sleep.  New terror acts in Syria and Iraq could spill over.  The opinion piece by Ruth Pollard of Bloomberg accentuates the latent risks from Afghanistan collapse.  While Turkey is not mentioned, Erdogan needs to be extremely careful in navigating Turkey’s relationship with Taliban. An overly symphatetic  approach could encourage  domestic fuındamentalist aspirations.

The attacks on civilians at Kabul airport could be a precursor to bloodier confrontations as terrorist groups, including Islamic State affiliates, draw inspiration and supporters on the back of the Taliban’s success.

And then there’s the spillover — into Pakistan, Central Asia, China and India. New Delhi is no stranger to cross-border terrorism, and the Taliban will likely provide a haven for anti-Indian terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. There are genuine concerns these groups will use Afghanistan as a base to launch their attacks in Kashmir as they did in the 1990s.