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Posted by Dr. Salman in OPINION, OPINION LEADER, Sajjad Shaukat on April 30th, 2018
With the support of some state actors and after its defeat by the Russian-led coalition of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon-based Hezbollah in Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL) is rapidly spreading its tentacles in South Asia.
It is also due to the dual policy of the US-led some Western powers, Israel and India that ISIS which is most dangerous terrorist group than Al-Qaeda has accelerated terrorism-related attacks in the US, Europe, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Iraq etc. and some African countries where besides Muslims, the outfit also targeted the Christians. Now, its tentacles have reached other regions of Asia, especially South Asia. Hence, the emergence of ISIS threat in South Asia needs attention.
In this context, the Daily Mail Online reported on February 22, 2015, “The terrifying rise of ISIS…tentacles now reach from Algeria to Afghanistan”.
According to online sources, “On January 26, 2015, Abu Muhammed al-Adnani chief spokesperson of the ISIS released an audio statement in which he declared the establishment of Wilayat Khorasan, a branch of the group encompassing Afghanistan, Pakistan and other nearby lands. Since then, Wilayat Khorasan has pursued a campaign of expansion and consolidation in the region, with most of its activity centring in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan.”
Some other online sources disclosed, “ISI activities in Afghanistan are known as IS’s Khorasan Province (ISKP) or an Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP).”
These sources revealed, “ISKP’s control of territory in Nangrahar reached its peak in summer 2015 when it became the dominant insurgent group in eight of the province’s 22 districts…Since then, the Taliban have fought to take back territory…ISKP then dug in through 2016 in all its remaining districts, that is, Achin, Kot and Nazyan in the south-eastern districts…as well as Deh Bala in the south-west…ISIL-KP maintained a presence in southern Nangarhar Province despite increased military operations carried out by the United States of America and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. SIL-KP continued its attacks against the civilian population and military and foreign military targets, and unverified local sources claimed that ISIL-KP reinforcements and recruitment continued…IS Khorasan gained its new strength through forging alliances with local sectarian pro-al-Qaeda or Taliban militant groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al Alami (LeJ-A), Lashkar-e Islam (LeI), or disgruntled Taliban factions like Jundallah and Jamaat ul Ahrar (JuA), which have been active in the region for many years. It has also reportedly recruited operatives from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The success of this strategy is manifest in the geographical distribution of the recent attacks, which suggests a logistical penetration and influence that extends from Kabul and Jalalabad in Afghanistan to Quetta and Peshawar in neighbouring Pakistan.”
It is mentionable that the militants attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery (Restaurant) in the diplomatic district of Dhaka-capital of Bangladesh on July 2, 2016, and killed at least 20 hostages and two police officers. It included nine Italians, seven Japanese and one American. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the terror attack on the restaurant. Top officials of Bangladesh Government claimed the existence of ISIS in the country. ISIS has also accepted responsibility for several past attacks in Bangladesh.
Taking cognizance of various terrorism-related assaults in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the ISIL, as its terrorists also entered Pakistan from Afghanistan, Pakistan has, repeatedly, been expressing concerns over the growing unrest and violence in Afghanistan, reiterating support for a dialogue-based settlement of the Afghan issue. Islamabad is supportive of an Afghan dialogue, recognizing Taliban as a legitimate party in the conflict. Similar stance has been adopted by Russia, China, Iran and even the Central Asian Republics.
While Pakistan has expressed concerns over the emergence of ISIS in Afghanistan from where it has rapidly been spreading its terror-network in other South Asian countries. Islamabad’s worry is also shared by all the countries of the region. The dreaded terror outfit is being projected by the US, India, and some Western countries as a counterweight to Taliban. Therefore, the story of ISIS in Afghanistan is viewed carefully by the regional countries. Russia has repeatedly aired concerns about the possibility of tacit US approval or her inability to control the ISIS. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and few other Afghan leaders have also aired such apprehensions.
In this connection, a news item was published by all the leading dailies of Pakistan on October 8, 2017 regarding the statement of Afghanistan’s former Afghan President Karzai who, while dismissing criticism of Moscow’s ties with the Taliban and echoing Russian claims of American support to the ISIS terrorists, told Voice of America (VOC) that the United States has links with terrorist ‘Islamic State’, also known as Daesh…Daesh a tool of US…After it [the US] dropped the [mother of all] bomb on Afghanistan, it did not eliminate Daesh…the terrorist group has been supplied weapons by the United States forces…The US Army helicopters and army bases are being used to provide assistance to ISIS terrorists…I do not differentiate at all between Daesh and America…Reports of American assistance to the terrorists are coming from all over the country.” (It also includes Karzai’s revelations to VOC of April 20, 2017, and Newsweek’s report of the same day).
Particularly, based in Afghanistan, secret agencies such as American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad are in collusion, and are using the ISIS in destabilizing Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the double game of their countries. India and Israel want to prolong the stay of the US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan which has become the centre of their covert activities against Pakistan, Russia, China, and Iran. American President Trump is also doing the same in connivance with New Delhi and Tel Aviv. Now, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the special target of these foreign intelligence agencies.
It is notable that Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS which are being backed by RAW, CIA and Mossad have claimed responsibility for several terror assaults inside Pakistan and Afghanistan, including the recent ones.
While, Pakistan has repeatedly pointed out ISIS’s involvement in anti-Pakistan violence and terrorism, and Islamabad has also shared credible information about the presence of ex-TTP militants inside Afghanistan, many of whom have switched sides to join ISIS. Therefore, Islamabad expects Afghanistan and the US-led forces (NATO) in Afghanistan to check the activities and projection of the ISKP activities.
Notably, ISIS has suffered heavily on accounts of its confrontation with the Afghan Taliban. Taliban have successfully undone ISIS influence from most of its controlled and contested areas. ISIS has lost most of its leadership in these fights and has been virtually squeezed to a few pockets of Nangarhar province. Taliban have been successful in checking ISKP’s (ISIS) ideological outreach by projecting the linkage of the brutal organization with extra-regional elements and thus discrediting them in the eyes of common Afghans. Most Afghans consider ISKP’s display of cruelties and inhuman behaviour against Afghan culture and do not buy group’s ideas of violence.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has successfully purged FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of militants through successful military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasad. Lately, the country is focusing on improving border management and fencing project to address the cross-border movement of the terrorists. Pakistan is making concerted efforts to address extremism in all its forms. Recent steps by the country, including the nationwide agreed upon ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan’ (Message of Pakistan), are efforts to address the menace of terrorism and extremism on the ideological front.
In the same context, in the recent past, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Munich Security Conference was a polite reminder to the US-led international community, especially the Western powers of their past practices in the region.
We can conclude that reality of ISKP is well known to the regional powers. People like the ex-President Hamid Karzai and countries like Russia have been quite vocal in expressing their concerns about who supports ISKP? For ISKP in Afghanistan, the onus rests on the American- led NATO forces as well as on the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) who need to carry out a reality check. America, India, and Israel should also abandon their double game with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, China and Russia in order to cope with the emergence of ISIS threat in South Asia.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is the author of the book: the US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: [email protected]
Additional Information
Report: New York Terror Attack, Israel Wants Nuclear War or Clash of Civilizations
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: [email protected]
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Posted by zohaib_baqi in Middle East on August 26th, 2017
Middle East has always remained the center of the world politics since World War II, end of
which created the UNO and in 1948 the State of Israel. After the birth of Israel, Middle East
became the battle zone where israel’s hegemony was to be promoted in order to bring major
militarily armed states of Middle East to a position where major powers of the world could
indoctrinate their own political and economic agendas in the region. Before that, this region
was famous for its natural resources and oil reserves and its Mediterranean trade route. Above
all, Israel and Palestine conflict, then the Israel’s traditional wars with its neighboring states
had become the persistent tension in the Middle East.
Recent developments in the region during previous years have depicted a different picture of
conflicts in the oil rich region. Since 2011, the civil war in Syria in order to confront Assad’s
regime has badly affected the security situation in the Middle East. Before the civil war,
Syrian people complained about the bad governance, raised unemployment, illiteracy,
corruption, poverty, lack of political freedom, under the Assad’s presidency. Then the Arab
spring in Tunisia, in 2011 has further added fuel to the fire, the syrian pro-democratic
demonstrator erupted the city of Deraa demanding the President’s Assad’s resignation. The
Assad’s government acted aggressively and crush the protestors by the use of deadly force.
Unfortunately, this anti-government protest spreads nationwide, thus resulting in never
ending civil war in Syria. This civil war has made easier for the world and regional powers
i.e, Russia, United States, Iran, Saudia Arabia and Turkey to interfere into the political
impasse in Syria by acting in support of (Russia and Iran) or by taking harsh steps (USA and
Saudi Arabia) against Assad’s regime not for the conflict resolution but for their own
interests. The logistical, financial and political support and interference of the external
powers for and against the Assad’s regime, has further fueled the sectarian conflicts,
terrorism, Rebellion movements and extremism. Thus, the civil war in Syria than turned into
proxy battleground because of the involvement of the world and regional powers.
Now the Assad’s regime has become the victim of the world’s major powers, thus it has
initiated a new cold war which is unlikely to get a promising end. The Syrian proxy war has
again results in the formation of two blocks along with their allied states, i.e, Russia( China,
Iran and Afghanistan) US ( Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Israel).
Syria is strategically and economically important to both US and Russia in the Middle East.
Russia along with China has increased its political, economic and military support to the
Assad’s regime. The primary goal of Russia is to protect and support the Assad’s regime
against the international intervention, Russia wants to counter the United States influence in
the Middle East and Russia has the vast economic interests in Syria. Syria is one of the
largest importers of military equipments, about 4 billlion dollars of arms contracts have been
signed between Syria and Russia. Besides military equipments, Russian oil and gas
companies has been invested in Syria. Soiuzneftegaz and Tatneft have been extracting oil and
gas in Syria since 2003, Stroitransgaz has built extensive natural gas pipeline and processing
plants. Currently it is constructing a second plant near the city of Rakka which will process,
approximatly 1.3 billion cubic meters of gas. Russian companies are also constructing nuclear
power plant for the production of energy. Manufacturing companies of Russia i.e, Uralmash
which provides drilling equipment to the pertroleum company of Syria, Tupolev and
Aviastar-SP has provided passenger airplanes to the Syrian Air lines. Beside economic
interest, strategic interests of Russia in this region are of great importance. For this, the only
Tartus naval base of Russia in Syria is left, but it’s not a true military base because it is not
hosted permanently by the Russian army, its only purpose is to repair and resupply the ships to
the Mediterranean. Therefore, Russian government and the Russian exporters fear that the
regime change in Syria will lead to the loss of contracts and as well as economy and will
weaken the Russian influence in Syria, as well as in the Middle East.
The United States interest in Syria is quite different; it’s strategic rather than economic. The
main interest of United States is to counter the terrorism and the mushroom growth of
terrorist organizations within Syria and in the Middle East. US main aim is to counter ISIS
(Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). US with the help of its Kurdish Allies is countering ISIS.
Al-Qaeda have been sending its militants to the Syria to support the Assad’s regime.
Strategically, the civil war in Syria will have enormous impacts for the region and for the US.
Syrian alliance with Iran can brought major changes in the policies of Saudi Arabia and
Israel. Iran proliferate arms and other goods to fuel the militant organizations in Syria i.e,
Hamas in Gaza strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon and its allies. Beside this, Tehran keeps on
supporting Assad regime politically and militarily. The Russian influence in Syria goes all the
way back to cold war. Most importantly, US wants to protect its bosom friend Israel from
Iran’s and terrorist threats. Therefore, Iran, terrorism and Russia are the brutal and intractable
enemies of the US in the Middle East.
Therefore, the responsibility of war crime and crime against humanity must be held
accountable in Syria. The brutal chemical attacks, casualties of the innocent civilians,
violation of International humanitarian law by ISIS and other terrorist organizations, must be
punished. The use of Chemical weapons, by Assad against rebels and other civilians, must be
punished for their brutal act. By these unhumantarian acts, it has been concluded that Assad’s
regime in Syria is a threat to Syrian citizens as well as development in Syria. Both the cold
war rivals and their allied states should try to settle conflicts in Syria and help
Posted by admin in OPINION, OPINION LEADER, Sajjad Shaukat, Sajjad Shaukat 's Column on February 12th, 2016
Posted by admin in Sajjad Shaukat 's Column on December 22nd, 2015
By Sajjad Shaukat
During a visit to Italy’s largest military cemetery of World War I, on November 14, expressing his grief over the November 13 terror attacks in Paris, Pope Francis called them a “piece of a piecemeal World War III…war is madness…even today…fought with crimes, massacres, destruction.”
On September 25, this year, at the UN General Assembly, while indicating the unjust global order, Pope Francis, condemned the global financial institutions, calling on them to ensure that countries “are not subjected to oppressive lending systems which, far from promoting progress, subject people to mechanisms which generate greater poverty, exclusion and dependence.”
Earlier, addressing the US Congress, Pope Francis said, “No religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism…we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system…every life is sacred.”
Taking note of America’s non-acceptance of the Syrian refugees, Francis reminded the law-makers by pointing out that the United States “is part of a larger whole one America in the Americas, where immigration is a deeply rooted part of history…we, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners.”
Pope Francis also warned of globalization, and said, “Keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty.” He emphasized upon the need of “creation and distribution of wealth.”
While calling for an end to the arms trade by the arms dealers, Francis explained, “Deadly weapons…for money are being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society…money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.”
He further added, “If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance.”
However, owing to his religious status, Pope Francis did not openly elaborate his views. In other worlds, he indicated the double games, secret strategies of the rulers, politicians, their collaboration with the arms dealers, creation of a crisis, exploitation of peoples’ feelings etc., and manipulation of the Syrian war at a critical time when the brutalities, committed by the Islamic State group (ISIS) are being blamed by the US-led western entities on the religion of Islam and Muslims. But, the Pope has clarified that it is not in Islam only, such extremism or fundamentalism can infect any faith like Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism which contain extremists who commit crimes in the name of their faith.
In this regard, the double games and secret strategies in relation to the interfaith dialogue needs appropriate analysis.
Just after the September 11 tragedy inside the United States, chauvinism and extremism developed not only in Americans, but also in the media and high officials of the Bush Administration. President Bush used the words, “crusade against the evil-doers”, adding to the perception that the ongoing ‘different war’ against terrorism is actually a war against the Muslim countries.
Brushing aside the Israeli atrocities on the Palestinians, American unity was projected with such force as to allow no questioning of the US policy. Under the cover of the 9/11 catastrophe, preplanned strategy of the neo-conservatives started a fake global war on terror. For the purpose, Israel was given a free in the occupied territories of the Palestine, where every sort of state terrorism was practiced on the innocent persons. Besides, various anti-Muslim developments such as employment of coercive diplomacy, occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, employment of state terrorism by special military operations, extra-judicial assassinations and heavy aerial bombardment, CIA-FBI-military torture cells, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Graib, sectarian violence (And division on Shia-Sunni basis) etc. resulted into the killing of more than two million Muslims.
President Obama has also continued the same dual strategy. Apart from air strikes on funerals, marriage-ceremonies and mosques in Afghanistan, overthrow of the elected government in Egypt, creation of more collapsed states such as Libya, Syria, Yemen etc., CIA support to the mercenaries and ISIS terrorists, including Al-Qaeda’s Al-Nusra Front in fighting against the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iraqi regime are part of the covert policy of the neo-conservatives to fulfill the unfinished agenda of the Zionists and Israel.
Meanwhile, taking cognizance of the growing threat of terrorism which had been dividing the western and Islamic nations on cultural and religious lines, both President Bush and President Obama orchestrated the drama of interfaith dialogue in wake of phony global war on terror. In this respect, with official backing, many conferences were held in America and Europe, and various countries in which scholars from Islamic states and other western countries also participated with a view to creating cultural understanding among major religious communities. In this connection, a four day conference of Muslim and Christian intellectuals held on August 1, 2008 at the Yale University Divinity School of America for promoting interfaith dialogue, but ended without discussing any issue of religious fundamentalism in relation to state terrorism. Another conference of Muslims, Christians and Jews was held in July, 2008 at Madrid, arranged by the efforts of Saudi King Abdullah. Afterwards, these meetings continued from time to time. However, on the one side, behind the interfaith dialogue, the main aim of Bush and Obama was to pacify the Muslims, Americans and western public, while, on the other to continue the Israel-led state terrorism of America and the US allies on the Muslims.
Despite the so-called interfaith dialogue, blasphemous acts like reprinting of the caricatures about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and release of a Dutch film against the Holy Quran and the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by Pastor Wayne Sapp in a Florida church continued by Zionist plotters against the Christians, Americans Muslims and the peace-loving Jews.
But, the US and Israeli frustration by the recent developments such as Russian airstrikes on the ISIS targets in the northern Syria, its coalition with Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon-based Hezbollah in support of President Assad culminated in terror attacks in Paris which were also part of the Zionist conspiracy against the Muslims, Christians and loyal Americans—the west and particularly Europe.
In the post-Paris attacks phenomena, the US succeeded in getting the assistance of its western allies against Russia. Now, as part of the ambivalent approach, American jet fighters and those of its western coalition are targeting the ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria. But, there is also danger of nuclear war or what the pope Francis warned of World War III in wake of anti-Muslim statements of irresponsible politicians and Zionist-controlled media.
In this context, scholars of international affairs agree that “foreign affairs are too foreign” to the citizens of a country. Renowned scholar Prof. Hoslti opines that “issues and situations” have “influence on public opinion” which in turn “influences the objectives and actions.”
In fact, fault can not be laid on the ordinary citizens who are swayed by emotions, stereotypes and prejudices created by the political leaders who keep on manipulating any crisis for their own self-interests with the sole aim of getting their sympathies to increase their vote bank. There are equal strong pressures from religious and nationalist forces in wake of global war on terror which is dividing the world on religious lines.
Like the drastic aftermath of 9/11 tragedy, rulers and politicians of the US-led western countries, especially of Europe are again misguiding their general public by creating chauvinism against the Muslim World by exploiting the critical situation, after the Paris disaster and the shooting at San Bernardino, California. In one way or the other, the Muslims are being persecuted in the US and other western countries, particularly in Europe.
Anti-Islamic policy of their politicians could be judged from the statement of US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump who recently called for a ban on Muslims, entering the United States in response to the San Bernardino shooting. He stated, “We have no choice…more Sept. 11-style attacks if stern measures are not taken.”
Nevertheless, instead of projecting the so-called threat of Islamophobia which is rapidly dividing the world on religious lines, the US-led western governments must conduct genuine interfaith dialogue among Muslims, Christians, Hindus and non-Zionists Jews.
For the purpose, first of all, by discarding the clandestine strategies of the past theorists like Hobbes, Machiavelli, Morgenthau and Kissinger, leaders of the major powers should resolve the Syrian crisis through negotiations (Or through points agreed upon in the recent Geneva meeting). Then, under the auspices of the UN, a broader alliance of all the stakeholders must be concluded to fight against the ISIS terrorists. And especially, the US must abandon its double game regarding ISIS and Syria.
For the success of interfaith dialogue, some American and western political leaders should stop irresponsible statements by equating the war on terror with war on Islam, and acts of Al Qaeda and ISIS with all the Muslims. Their media should also be brought under control through appropriate legislation or law, as freedom of expression does not mean the introduction of dangerous socio-religious dimension in their societies by dividing world politics on cultural and religious lines with the negative projection of Islam which is a religion of peace, and prohibits any kind of terrorism like other religions.
Moreover, responsibility also lies on the rulers of the Muslim countries including opposition parties and media to refrain from manipulation of the present chaotic situation.
Furthermore, it is suggested to all Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists who use social media or Internet for controversial debate, must share it for creating religious harmony which is essential for world peace, their economic development and prosperity. On the occasion of this Christmas, they must pledge selfless global unity in their messages.
Returning to our earlier discussion, instead of the orchestrated drama of the past, there is an immediate need to conduct the genuine interfaith dialogue, before the world enters into a major war of “all against all” in the sense of Hobbesian state of nature.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: [email protected]
Courtesy Veterans Today
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