TTP And ISKP Presence In Afghanistan – OpEd

Around the world, people are very worried about Afghanistan’s security, especially since terrorist groups like the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are still there and moving around. Thomas West, who works for America in Afghanistan, told the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Central Asia about those severe fears. West’s comments show that those terrorist groups and actors are dangerous for the protection of the region, additionally explains how hard matters are around the world.

The ISKP is a dangerous group that grew out of the well-known ISIS. They pose a threat that goes beyond the limits of Afghanistan. West’s revelations that the Taliban released about 1800 fighters to help the ISKP’s comeback, which was done without meaning to, show how dangerous the group is becoming. The later attacks by ISKP, especially those aimed at Afghan citizens and the Shia people, along with their plans to attack targets in the West, including the US, paint a bleak picture of the security situation. This statement breaks down the stories that try to connect Pakistan with supporting the ISKP. It also makes it clear that the ISKP is a separate and very serious danger to peace in the area and around the world.

There is just as much fighting in the stories as there is on the ground, and lies and false information make it hard to see what the real problems are. People say that the Islamic Advisory Group (IAG) is hiding TTP’s position in Afghanistan and making up statements about the ISKP. These dishonest actions not only hide the dangers these terror groups pose, but they also make it harder to come up with effective and unified plans to fight terrorism. To deal with the problems in a practical way, the foreign and regional community needs to be able to tell fact from myth.

We need a strong response to this problem, and not just with weapons. We also need a strong plan and friendly talks. It’s very important that IAG is loyal to the Doha Agreement and won’t support TTP. Pakistan wants to stop terrorism and is putting pressure on IAG to do the same. This is done to keep the peace, which is important for everyone in the area, not just the people who live there. It’s not just Afghanistan that TTP and ISKP are doing bad things; their actions affect the safety and peace of the whole area. The activities and return of these terrorist groups have a direct effect on places like Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The TTP has a long history of attacking inside of Pakistan, and the ISKP wants to expand and has recently attacked neighboring countries. This shows that the danger is global. This is why we need a way to fight terrorism at the regional level, where people can share knowledge, work together on security problems, and make sure their efforts are organized.

Because of the threats that TTP and ISKP pose, many steps have been offered and taken by different groups to fight terrorism. The military goes after terrorist camps, information-based security strategies are used, and money and materials are tried to be kept away from these groups. To fight the intellectual effects of these groups, counter-narrative and de-radicalization programs are also very important. This is a very important part of the international community. They support these efforts, give money, and make sure that counter-terrorism policies protect human rights and international law. This group includes both local and global players, like the US and the UN.

Terrorism is a tough problem that needs to be dealt with diplomatically. Another thing that has been done by other countries to help bring peace and safety to Afghanistan is the Doha Agreement. Deals only work if everyone keeps their end of the bargain. Countries that are threatened by TTP and ISKP need to have political talks, ways to work together in the region, and places for people from all over the world to work together. As part of these international efforts, it’s important to deal with both the current security issues and the deeper problems that make terrorists more likely, like poverty, being left out of politics, and becoming radicalized ideologically.