President Biden says that the US has made a number of changes in and around the airport in the Afghan capital of Kabul, with an eye both toward easing the refugee flight from the country, and more importantly, trying to maintain security in the face of a “real and persistent” threat of an ISIS terror attack in the area.
Officials aren’t detailing the nature of the threats, but are looking to extend the safe zones and provide alternate routes to the airport. The implication of some of the warnings is that the big threat is getting attacked outside the airport along the routes.
The Pentagon further said that they believe ISIS-K poses a threat to attack the airport itself, albeit not an immediate threat. Car bombs, suicide bombs, and mortar attacks are all a possibility.
This security concern is not really new, even if it’s not been talked about before. The local ISIS affiliate, ISIS-K, has been active in Kabul for quite some time, and is almost certain to try to raise its profile after the Taliban takeover.
ISIS got its start as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), and expanded into Syria during that war. This led to the establishment of a caliphate there, and affiliates started popping up worldwide. ISIS-K based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is one of the most dangerous.
Throughout the past several years, ISIS-K has held territory in Nanharhar Province, in the southeast, as well as at times smaller holdings in other provinces. In general, US and Afghan government offensives would have them fleeing temporarily, officials declaring them defeated, and the ISIS-K fighters returning almost immediately to where they were.
ISIS-K has also fought the Taliban, and while the Taliban has had some success clashing with them in some of the more remote ISIS-K outposts, they’re going to certain face fighting over control of some regions in the long run.
ISIS? In Kabul? Threatening airport?
Looks someone wants DESPERATELY to stay in Afghanistan! And sadly, many people will believe this!
NY Times just reported US special forces and helicopters have been sent into Kabul to evacuate “stranded American citizens and Afghan allies”.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/23/world/taliban-afghanistan-biden-news
I hope I am wrong. But it looks like Biden and the Blue Fascists intend to stay in Afghanistan withthe mission changed from “nation building” to “nation wrecking” which is so much easier for the US military.
sprinkle a little ISIS on it, how about the special flavor ISIS-K
Yep. Before ISIS creative naming, there was an Al-Qaeda naming cornucopia. In Arabian Peninsula, in Maghreb, in Levant.
In the imagination of readers, these are some villains that come out of some holes in the ground (or my favorite, from desert), and have nothing better to do but rise up full blown from the brow of Zeus — to disturb our noble plans.
It was no mystery who funded, recruited and masterminded the “student” movement, the Taliban, and sent them from Pakistan to Afghanistan to finish off Soviet backed government in Kabul.
US, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
It is not mystery who is funding and recruiting TODAY ‘s Taliban. Afghan clans have their governors and governments in each province. They run economy and trade. They have armies, always had. They are now “Taliban”,
US tried and failed to centralize power in Kabul. Do the leaders of clans get some help from Pakistan in shape of trade and weapons purchase? Very likely.
ISIS? US and Saudi then Minister of the Interior founded it. Saudis funded it, supplied with everything — from money and weapons, to transportation, military logistics — army kitchens, administrative support, computers, vehicles, fuel. And provided religious leadership modeled after fanatical Taliban they jointly created with US.
Saudis were given some promises in return. I believe that the caliphate area carved out of Sunni regions of Syria and Iraq, were to be Saudi protectorates.
The area — along with Kurdish areas — was supposed to bifurcate Middle East, separating Levant from Iraq, Iran and Gulf. And separate Anatolia from Levant and Gulf. This was Obama — that is Hillary Clinton’s — masterplan for Middle East.
Saudi Interior Minister, Mohammed Bin Nayaf, once FBI school student, was duly pushed onto reluctant Saudi establishment into the position of Crown Prince, a de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.
All was well until 2015 when Russia sent military to bolster Syrian army. From that point on, Iraqi Army was not wholesale slaughtered by ISIS.
Intelligence sharing between Russia, Iraq and Iran resulted in Iraqi Army not always following US military advice. Shia militia was founded in order to have units completely outside US military oversight, and free to attack ISIS based on new intelligence,
That changed the war against ISIS in Iraq. Iraq was closing in on Mosul. And in Syria, ISIS was pushed back beyond Euphrates, the area under US aerial control.
Obama feigned fight against ISIS by emulating his Bin Laden moment of glory — daily announcing yet another ISIS leader being killed. After a while, the gimmick lost potency, and US was scrambling to get Kurds in Iraq and Syria fill the gap in areas rapidly lost by ISIS. US even got Turkish PKK units into Iraq to replace ISIS in Sinjar and Kirkuk. Which alienated Iraqi Kurds, Peshmerga. And brought Turkey in.
Trump was elected on platform of actually fighting ISIS. His visit to Saudi Arabia brought bad news to Crown Prince Nayaf. Saudis got the message, They were used by US to the tune of hundreds of billions dollars, and US was not going to support the new Sunni state.
Trump was a realist — between Russia and Syria, and Russia-Iran-Iraq intelligence, ISIS was going to lose. US would appear to be a weakling that stood by and not fight ISIS.
Shocked Crown Prince was also told to put stop to Qatar collaboration with Iran to stay in US good graces.
That was April 2017. In May,Saudi Arabia announces blockade of Qatar.
In June 2017, Crown Prince Nayaf was removed in palace coup, and King’s son MBS was appointed. MBS immediately formed an alliance with Egypt and Sudan, and in Cairo conference they declared the conditions imposed on Qatar to be “principles”. And just waited for Trump to be out of office to regulate relations with Qatar.
Many things were tried to push MBS out of power — and more will be tried — but Saudi clans support him, public supports him. Reforms are popular, power of Wahhabi establishment reduced, funding for all Islamic militancy cut off. Talks with Iran removed the pressure. This was a prerequisite for Russia-China led SCO membership, This June, Saudis and Egypt became members.
Quite a change since the heady Imperial dreams and the days of Al-Qaeda, Taliban and ISIS.
The names used as props today, And for any other act of hit-and-run terror act or sabotage in the future.
You wrote:
“All was well until 2015 when Russia sent military to bolster Syrian army. From that point on, Iraqi Army was not wholesale slaughtered by ISIS.”
I suspect you meant “Syrian Army was not wholesale slaughtered by ISIS.”
Here we go credible threat , highly likely ect ect , if ISIS was intent on shooting down a plane they would have done so already , the fact is if Asked ISIS would probably help carry the suitcases on board the plane to get the invaders out more quickly.
We are highly likely led by nitwits — carefully selected by elites for their well trained compartmentalized minds.
ISIS ( international terrorists, nominally Islamic, but aims parallel to or identical to those of the US) are loved by the likes of Hillary Clinton who identified them as the “good terrorists”. Some of the ISIS leadership in Syria were helicoptered into Afghanistan several months ago as reported in multiple places. They will be activated when necessary.
ISIS having to bail out its benefactor, the US military? Hmm.
And now, there is fire at the airport?
OK, it is well known in marketing to associate brands with technical jargon. That is why you see so many things marketed as “turbo” over the decades.
Now, since US and Israel need ISIS to pop back up again and save the day, they need a new name to differentiate from the “old” ISIS.
ISIS-turbo is too dated. ISIS-HD is a little better. ISIS-5G is better still.
So, ISIS-K is rather bland and not really catchy.
ISIS-4k is perfect.
They seem to be aiming for Star Wars images of wrapped up shadowy creatures popping up from caves or gloomy desert dunes. This is where ISIS Khorastan fits in. Or Syrian ISIS from the desert.
It isn’t an attack on the airport by ISIS that worries me as much as them peacefully boarding the plane along with the throngs of refugees.
Hell with a hand-basket… Coming to a target near you.
The US created al Qaeda in Afghanistan to take on the Soviets. When the US “won”, and the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, the US walked away, leaving the Afghans to the tender mercies and the US-created army of mujahedeen head-choppers. ***Who were NOT the Taliban.*** The Taliban then mobilized to fight — and defeat — the lawless remnants of the US terrorist mujahedeen.
Then, because of Israel/Palestine among other things, Bin Laden did 9/11, and the Neocons ascendant, “conquered” Afghanistan and then Iraq.
The overthrow of Saddam’s Sunni govt turned Iraq over to the Shia majority (and Iran), sent Saddam’s military, intelligence and spooks to sanctuary in Syria, and provoked the once-dominant Iraqi Sunnis to form and insurgency under the al Qaeda brand, giving rise to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).
That insurgency raged until the “regime-change” proxy war to overthrow Assad (on behalf of Israel per the Oded Yinon plan) created a political vacuum in eastern Syria, which then gave birth — with US help — to ISIS in Syria, from the remnants of AQI and Saddam’s Baathists.
By “US help” I refer to the warnings of Gen. Michael Flynn in 2012, that the Obama “kabuki” against ISIS, based on the hope that pressure ISIS was applying to the Syrian government might convince Assad to go, was actually strengthening ISIS, enabling them to secure a foothold in eastern Syria, with the looming possibility, later borne out, of establishing a Califate in the Sunni tribal region of eastern Syria and Iraqi Anbar.
All of which eventually led to the Kafkaesque situation where US/CIA supported al Qaeda/ISIS on the one hand, while the Pentagon bombed them on the other. Surreal … except of course for doubling the revenue stream for the MIC!
And now, the Afghanistan adventure plays out its humiliating finale. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.
Interesting times.